Masked Dreams
by Spiritual Stone
Summary: Link, now a travelling Mask-maker, was content with his life without heroism, monsters, and enemies. But he finds that he has to face his worst nightmare, his greatest foe, a thing so powerful not even the Master Sword could kill it: His unrequited love.
1. Reunion

**Heya guys! Okay, people who know me well, I understand that I should be writing the next instalment for _Once Upon a Fairytale_, but... yeah, the juices aren't flowing. They have been flowing like crazy for this one, though. I haven't given up on OUaF, I'm just taking a wee break.**

**I'll get right to it, eventually, I promise. **

**For those who read the paragraph above but it made no sense, never fear, it has nothing to do with this story. XD **

**Edit: I'd like to credit the picture used to x0chu0x, who drew a spectacular Sheik based on this very story! Thank you for giving me permission to use it for this fic!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**_Masked Dreams_**

The dusty man that entered Kafei Dotour's office blinked at the mayor in surprise and a bit of horror. "Kafei? Is that _you_? What, I mean, Mister Dotour?"

"Good to see you too, Link."

The blond man sheepishly nodded at the greying mayor, in his embarrassment knocking his ridiculously large bag against the door frame numerous times in his effort to get in. The young man exuded neglect. His long sleeved green shirt was in need of being replaced; the trousers were patched, the boots scuffed. His hair needed cutting and stubble lined his rough jaw like a carpet.

By contrast, his equipment was in pristine condition. Masks of all shapes and sizes, gleaming with polish, clanked and cluttered on their frames as Link dumped his pack onto the floor, sitting on the chair that'd been readied for him.

The middle-aged Mayor, who was a tad rounder than Link remembered, looked from the visitor to the bag of masks, politely analysing his employee. "I thought you'd stayed within the fighting business."

Link snorted a little uneasily, looking down at his pack of masks as well. "I did, for a while. When the Mask's Salesman took Majora away… one thing led to another and… here I am. I'm surprisingly good at making this stuff."

"And _that_ is?" Kafei asked, gesturing at the tattoo on Link's face, where thick black slashes lined his left eye like clawing spider's legs. It made his eye look dark, imbalanced with the other.

The Hylian smirked. "In honour of the Fierce Deity. And to give the occasional bandit a second thought."

"You certainly look terrifying."

"And you, look…" Link tried to find the right word that bothered him so much, but gave up on it and slapped his face, moaning. "What happened to you?"

The Mayor of Clocktown snorted and narrowed his eyes with some annoyance. "I grew old, my friend. Is that so wrong?"

"Well so did I," Link muttered grudgingly, leaning back into the chair again, "I mean, grow old. But when we met we looked the same. We _were_ the same. I knew you would've grown back, but…"

The baggy and lined eyes of the mayor took an indulging and patient glint that Link knew all too well. "The flow of time is a cruel thing, my boy."

"Yes, I know," Link conceded, rubbing his face warily, "I hear that far too often from the Queen back at Hyrule. Heck, I should know it better than anybody else. But this is still unfair. You're _balding_ for Nayru's sake."

"I'm _thinning_, thank you." Kafei corrected sternly, trying to look indignant and fierce. Link bit his lip and couldn't help smiling. "I may be old but that doesn't mean I still don't have some vestige of vanity. Gods. You should sharpen that blunt tongue of yours."

Link's grin grew wider. "My weapons do the cutting for me, Mr. Dotour. Now, what can I do for you?"

Kafei sighed, picking up a small pair of reading glasses to look through his neat stacks of paper before him. Link leaned forward on his arms in concern. Goddesses, the man's hands were shaking. What could possibly worry him, a man who was loved and honoured by the whole of Clocktown? Hell, under his father's and his own guidance the dark-haired man had turned the town into a prospering _city_. What was going on?

"I'd like you to look at these." Kafei handed Link a file of papers, some of which had the distinct touch and smell of age. He opened the file to find drawings of a child, and opened his mouth to ask a question. But looking at Kafei, he closed it and shuffled through the drawings.

The first few he skipped; the crayons and unskilled hands of a four year old made it impossible to tell what was there, and the extensive use of violent blacks and reds and purples worried him. There were a few pages of those, and then there was one where two figures stood together, a man and a woman and three floating heads, and lots of smiling faces. Then the crayon turned to charcoal, and there were blots of black and fuzzy white circles, and pictures he barely recognised as dragon flies. Years and years worth of pictures was stacked before him, and Link couldn't make sense of it; it was mostly all harmless.

Till he got to the back.

Link flipped a page and froze. An astonishingly good Dekubaba barred its teeth at him, a severed hand grotesquely protruding out of its bloodied chewing maw. A finger was flying in a vivid arch, blood following it like a flare.

The blond hissed. "Shit."

Kafei peered at the picture and grimaced. "She drew that about two years ago. A couple of days after she finished this, one of the rascals from the branch villages lost his arm."

Link shuddered. "Shit."

"Her first two drawings were done when she was three."

"...Well," Link managed after swallowing, "At least they were just colours."

"It was a very large picture, Link. She had to use lots of paper to finish it. You're welcome to my desk to assemble it."

The pages filled with streaks of crayons. Link picked out the nine pages and lined them three by three, picking this one up and replacing it with that one, using the still white places to identify the corners and edges.

Majora's Moon, haloed by what was obviously fire and char was depicted colliding with a stick that was most probably the Clock tower. There were no giants in sight.

Link could feel the blood draining from his face. "_Shit_."

"Thankfully for the second picture," Kafei sighed, "She drew Anju and I's wedding, with a green fairy throwing confetti over us and the guests. We didn't fully realise that Tingle of all people would be doing the honours, but…"

"What happened to that guy, anyway?" Link wondered aloud, staring at the terribly drawn future that didn't (but technically did on numerous occasions) happen.

"Still making maps, though he doesn't use his balloons anymore. He broke a leg when he fell from one of them."

Link wondered whether he had contributed to that, but didn't mention it. "So, has this… who draws these again? I don't think you told me."

"It's my sister."

The Hylian digested that for a bit, and repeated slowly, "Your sister."

"Yes."

"You have a sister."

"Yes. Well, half sister." Kafei's hands were no longer shaking, but still he looked stressed and worried, a deep sigh escaping him as he explained, "Aroma was my father's second wife. As I said, my sister was three when she drew the picture of the moon. I don't think she remembers the chaos, but she still has the gift that comes from their side of the family; I didn't fully believe that Aroma was a descendant of the Ikana Shamans till Sheik's gifts came to fruit."

Link's world gave an infinitesimal stop. He didn't hear the rest of Kafei's sentence; he forgot to breathe, his mind washed blank, and on that whiteness a single word was printed, blaring in his lurching heart.

The ex-hero desperately gripped the arms of his chair to anchor him to reality. "_Sheik_?"

"Oh, my mistake," Kafei muttered uneasily, rubbing his eyes, "It's technically a title. _Sheik a nu Sheikah_, it's Old Ikana for 'Eye of the Seers'. The most powerful of the Seers wore that title, but as there's only one of her now…" he finished with a shrug.

"What happened to her actual name?"

"It's Bell, but she forgets, or so she claims."

"Oh." Link suppressed his sigh of relief and slumped down in his chair. "Kafei, why am I here? Did... Bell draw something like the moon? Something worse?"

Kafei looked down, cleared his throat, and looked at Link imploringly with his dark brown eyes, and Link took some solace in that. His eyes were brown. Ordinary. And he was a dark-haired man too, there was no possible way that this _Bell_ could look like…

"She hasn't drawn _anything_. Nothing. Not one. She usually draws one picture or another once a day, on scraps or walls or even on the pavement with a piece of chalk. But she hasn't drawn a thing and she's been having nightmares for weeks now, she looks so… so terrified."

Link's sense of horror just got worse. "So you're thinking it could be something so big that she needs _time_ to draw the disaster?"

"I called for Princess Zelda to send somebody who'd be able to help her, and though you aren't my first choice, I'm glad you're here. I want you to watch over her. If she draws, and if it's something that can be fought, I'd like you to take care of it."

"Wouldn't it be best if I just deal with the problem after she's finished said drawing?" he tried to barter, hoping he didn't sound desperate. He didn't want to say that the he didn't want to meet Kafei's sister. How could he? His reasoning was idiotic at best, anyway, "If I'm near, she might not want to draw anything. I'll stay in the shadows, let her do her thing. She won't have to know I even exist."

Kafei shook his head gravely. "I'm worried she'll hurt herself. She's woken up screaming bloody murder numerous times already; what if she becomes so scared she hurts herself? No, I need you as her bodyguard."

There had to be a way of not seeing her. There had to be. "Well…"

A door opened with an innocent squeak, and a tired voice yawned, "Kafei?"

The world stopped again, and it grew cold, so cold that his fingers shook and his heart shuddered, and when he breathed again the air was like knives in his lungs. She wasn't supposed to exist. She wasn't supposed to be able to leave his dreams, and _yet_…

Link turned round in his chair to look at the teenage girl, who, if it weren't for the thick, white woollen shawl round her she would've looked indecent in that elegant, floor-length dark blue nightgown. Her hair was blonde, streaked with brunette, and her skin was like copper in complexion.

Half her face was lost in her long fringe. The one visible eye was red as a fresh cut rose.

He stared at her. She glanced at him. Then she looked at him, really looked, and gave a puzzled frown. "Hello."

Link swallowed dryly and managed, "Hi, Sheik."

She blinked and blushed. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"We were talking about you, actually." he suppressed the urge to chuckle hysterically; everything about her was the same, _exactly_ the same as all those years ago. Her hair, her voice, that wonderful eye. So much for hoping Sheik was a common name in Termina.

He probably looked like he'd seen a ghost…

"Link," Kafei sighed, "That is what you call the epitome of tactless."

"It's fine, Kafei," she shrugged, picking at her eye nervously, "As long as, you know, you weren't saying anything embarrassing…"

"Does your gift at seeing the future count?"

She stopped. Then gave a weary sigh and rubbed her face with both her hands. "I… ugh, if it's about my Sight, I'd like to be part of this conversation. Please. Can I…? I'll be back in five minutes, no make that ten, I need to get changed. I'll um… be back. Sorry for the inconvenience, Mister…?"

"Link. Just Link's fine."

"Oh." She squinted, and as she shrugged again Link could see the tired bag under her eye. "Alright," she finished as a farewell, leaving through the door she'd hardly walked through.

Kafei looked at the swordsman turned salesman and frowned. "You look like you just witnessed a ghost. And how did you know that was Sheik?"

"She looked tired," Link lied, completely avoiding the first question, "Like she just got out of bed without much sleep. And, well, she looked like she knew what we were talking about anyway."

"That doesn't explain why you looked so terrified."

"Sorry," he muttered, lying again, "Red eyes. Seen them a lot combined with teeth and claws going for my face."

There was an awkward silence as both men felt guilty for completely different reasons.

"She didn't always look like that." Kafei stood from his desk and gestured for Link to follow. "Her hair she inherited from her grandmother, but her eyes were just like mother's. Apparently Sheikah gain red eyes as their Sight gets better and better."

Link thought of Impa as he shouldered his ridiculously large bag of masks and supplies. "Is that why you asked Zelda for help? Because her nursemaid was Sheikah too?"

The mayor gave a so-and-so hand gesture. "Partially. By the time I'd asked her, I'd already spoken to as many people that had an inkling of knowledge about the Sheikah as I can find, including the Gerudo matriarch, though that is a diplomatic chaos I never want to venture into again."

Link snorted.

Together they left the Mayoral Office, letting their business subject go and talking about how life had treated them over the years. Kafei and Anju were still happily married, with one elder son and two younger daughters. Anju's Grandmother had passed away a few years after the Moon incident, and the Stockpot Inn was still going strong. In fact it had grown bigger; now it was a three story house where not even a Deku Scrub can sneak in, unless a window was open by chance.

For Link things had been a little less simple. He'd tracked down the Mask Salesman, followed him, was apprenticed under him, and found that he had the knack of making Masks with properties like those he'd gained in the Three Day quest. Once he'd successfully buried Majora's Mask under a bog in the Lost Woods, Link had searched for others like it, and had enough cursed weapons in his backpack to kill off armies.

"What are you going to do with them, if you don't mind my asking?"

"World domination crossed my mind a few times," Link admitted with a sly grin, "But I'll settle with dismantling them and scattering the pieces. For the useless ones anyway."

"Link…"

"What? A sword that throws fire is stupid. A stick that can summons bricks, now _that_ is useful."

"…How?"

"Instant shelter."

Kafei laughed.

Link was shown to his room at the Inn, where Anju greeted him with a large hug and a promise of a hearty meal. Link excused himself for the moment however, making excuses about getting changed and taking a bath. Anju led him to his room, and after safely making sure she was gone, he locked himself into his room and immediately started throwing things out of his bag to search for one particular mask.

He found it. It was a simple and slightly useless one, with closed eyelids drawn where there should've been eyeholes, instead there being a large vertical oval hole for the mouth, as if it was yawning or singing.

But when Link put it on the painted eyelids opened and lines burst out like cracks from a volcanic eruption, turning it into an agonised, screaming face.

Gritting his teeth at the feel of his face being burnt by acid, and the feel of his mouth being splintered like dried wood, Link swallowed his scream and opened wooden eyes on the walls of Zelda's study. He swivelled his eyeballs. No Zelda, but there was a servant.

"Oi, you!"

The page jumped and spun, frantically looking around like a boy caught in doing something that he shouldn't be. Link snapped with pained patience, "Over here, dunce!"

The boy looked at the nondescript mask on the wall that blinked and scowled at him, and he froze in fear. "Uh, I um,"

"This is urgent business, so listen closely." The mask on the wall ordered imperiously, sprouting hair and blooming colour, looking more like a proper face as each second ticked by, "Get Princess Zelda. I repeat, Get Princess Zelda. Tell Her Link Is Here. Link Is Waiting At The Study. Got it?"

"U-um, but I um-"

"_Got it_?"

"Well, yes, but, um,"

"For Furore's sake get _going_!" Link finally yelled, and the pageboy fled like a rabbit.

Link paced in his room in Termina as his face stayed immobile on Zelda's wall in Hyrule. He'd made this Mask using the broken remains of a cursed crystal ball, so Zelda could call him when she needed something, but he'd purposely made it painful to wear so she'd call him only when she was _desperate_. He'd never had thought he'd use it himself, and by Din wearing it _hurt_. Thankfully the pain was limited to the process of putting it on, not in its using or taking it off.

Still. It felt weird that he couldn't feel his face when he touched it back in Termina.

The door opened and closed, and Zelda entered her study graciously. The room was right behind the Throne Room. If she ever had a private diplomatic audience, the study was where she addressed them, sitting still on the seat of power but in a less grandeur décor.

"Hello, Link. Are you alright?"

"Would I be if I was using this?" Link snapped irritably, making the Princess sigh.

"I don't know why you're so angry with me, but you shouldn't have taken it out on the boy. You scared the Magician's apprentice quite terribly."

The Princess was now twenty six in age, beautiful and wise as ever, and had Princes from all over the land falling over themselves to win her hand, heart and mind. They were so far unsuccessful.

Link didn't bother shrugging because he had no shoulders to shrug on the wall. "His fault for being in here."

"He was doing an errand for me."

Link rolled his eyes. "So kind of him. I need to talk to you about Sheik. _Now_."

The Princess blinked at the sudden demand. There was a certain hostility there that Link had never shown before, like a wild animal that'd just been caught and caged. She warily approached his face, speaking inquiringly, "Why? I've explained to you already, haven't I? On numerous occasions, at your request."

"Explain again. And I want the whole picture. In crystal clarity. You've always been vague."

Zelda pursed her lips as she sat down on her lesser throne and took off her gloves, setting the elbow-length garments neatly on the arms of the glorified chair as she spoke. "When Impa and I escaped, she took me to her hometown, Termina."

"Which is where you sent me. I've arrived, by the way."

"Did you have a safe journey?"

"It was fine. You arrived in Termina, what next?"

"Ganondorf followed us, naturally, but he couldn't find us; there were too many places to hide and Impa had the home advantage. He couldn't storm the country either, so he left. So did we, after a month. We would have stayed, if it weren't for the Moon. I hadn't told you this, but it was-"

"Yes, I know," Link interrupted impatiently, "Majora was about to make it crash into the middle of town. But I took care of... Oh _crap_," the mask on the wall screwed its face shut. Back in Termina Link slapped his hand against his forehead. "I wasn't there to stop it. It hit the town in the Lost Years."

Zelda didn't ask what he meant by Majora. He didn't like talking about his exploits; she was the decent few that didn't pry. "We didn't know when the Moon would fall, and we didn't want to leave till the last minute, in case Ganondorf had set it up to trap us. The only reason Impa and I were able to escape was because of a dream I had the night we escaped. It told us to go to the Apothecary, pretending to be an apprentice or relative of some man named Dampe. I did as followed, and it turned out the dream was sent to me by a three-year-old."

"That was the soul you mentioned." Link clarified, carrying on as Zelda nodded, "The soul you said was bound to you, the Sheikah soul that helped you disguise yourself. You said it _died_."

"I said dy_ing_." Zelda corrected primly. "She was attacked by a creature that called itself Skulkid. She said she'd seen the future. She said that she could help me, and I her. I hardly knew what was going on, she grabbed me with her small hands and… her eyes were such a brilliant red for the smallest instant…"

A tear rolled down her face, and Zelda hastily wiped it away. "I'll never forget, but I don't like to remember. I thought I was going insane. Her voice in my head, the sudden visions of things that weren't there. I blacked out for days while the girl took over my body. We fought over the flesh we shared, and sometimes I couldn't remember who was the parasite, which of us was the host. Her powers mixed with mine so much that I gained the Sheikah sight. Not as powerful as hers was when she was in control, but still."

"So when you changed, right in front of me, before I faced Ganondorf. There were two souls in you, but then there wasn't. What happened to Sheik? Did she live after that?"

"She was on borrowed time. Her body had perished with Termina. In the few months before you woke she was already flickering out of existence... Why do you ask?"

Link swallowed. He sat down on his bed and leaned against his knees with his elbows. Even on the rigid mask, his pain was clear. "Sheik's here. She's alive."

Zelda walked over to his face and gently held his cheek. "Isn't that good?"

"I don't _know_!" he snapped, screwing his face up with his frustration. "I don't know, alright! She's, goddamnit she's alive! I should be happy but it scares me Zelda, because this changes _everything_. What if she's different? What if she's so different that... I loved her, Zelda, I loved everything that was her, _from the war_. There _is_ no war now, there's only been peace, but now she's changed, and there's nothing I can do! I... want to keep her the way I remember her..."

Zelda removed the mask from the wall and lightly pressed a kiss against his forehead. "The Sheik in your heart will always remain there, Link. She won't change. This new Sheik you'll learn to know, she'll only add another face to the girl you knew. The girl you loved. And you might come to love her again, if you give yourself the chance."

Link didn't meet her gaze, unsure and nervous. He then sighed in acceptance, looked at Zelda, and frowned. "I thought I told you to put this someplace secure. It might get stolen."

Zelda laughed. "This old thing? Don't worry, it's fairly ugly when it's not being used."

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**So... what'd you think?**


	2. Reality

_**Hello, how are you all? Thanks for coming over to chapter two! I'm so excited. **_

_**And, yes, those who know me as an author, ONCE UPON A FAIRYTALE IS ON A HIATUS.**_

_**Why? Because this story has taken my plot bunnies hostage and slaving them to the ground to finish this. I have no idea why. Anyway, hope you like.**_

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Chapter 2

Link hooked his nails under the rim of the mask, waiting dutifully as it let his face go, allowing it to come away from its wooden weave. He rubbed his eyes wearily as Link plonked it on top of his pillow.

This… he didn't know what _this_ was. Did Sheik remember the Lost Seven Years? Did she remember how she'd helped in defeating Ganondorf?

Could she remember him?

But he'd changed. He wasn't seventeen anymore. He was past twenty, he had a freakin' tattoo on his face, he wasn't wearing that stupid hat, or the green tunic. Hell, there was three days' worth of stubble framing his mouth and jaw. He no longer smelled of blood or smoke; just resin and clay, and the undertone of spicy magic.

She looked just the same as when they'd last met. She was still seventeen, still rose-eyed, and she still made his heart race. But she was a new slate, a new person. Link realised with some shock that he was seven years older than her.

Then he snorted. Typical. Three, six, seven, nine, the sacred numbers revolved round his life like planets round the sun. He just wished the goddesses had been kind enough to make her, oh, three years younger instead? Even the same age? Was that so much to ask? Or was that their sadistic way of saying, sorry dear boy, she's _way_ out of your league?

Link stood and tucked his mask neatly back into its designated pocket in the large bag. He picked out a clean blue shirt, _after_ he shaved. Changed his trousers and swapped his boots for sandals. Finally, clipping three masks onto his belt and flicking the three piercings that ran up his pointed ear, exited his room and wore a smile.

-,-'-,-'-,-

The talk was after dinner, which was a raucous affair. The youngest child, Hena, who was two years and a month old, had to have her food shaped into fish before she ate it. Iza wasn't so much as greedy as had a great knack of not wanting to share. The eldest boy Coro was the mildest, probably because after seeing his younger sisters, he didn't want to be ever associated with their attitude when he grew up (Which, he already thought he was. Grown up, that is.) Anju was the smiling angelic mother the whole way through, leaving the scolding to Kafei. Sheik was a helper too, arranging Hena's carrot piece into starfish and her broccoli heads into anemones. Her skills as an artist were obvious in her display; if you were far enough away the starfish looked ready to move.

But goddesses she looked so tired. She went for her food with a forced concentration of a person fighting sleep, pushing back its power wave after wave, subtly leaning against the table so she wouldn't have to use so much energy on simply sitting up straight. And always there was a half smile playing at her lips as she chewed that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"So, uh," Sheik started mid-conversation with Anju, speaking with an air of someone who'd just remembered that talking to the guest was the polite thing to do, "Link, how was your trip here? Where did you come from?"

Link couldn't help but mirror that half-smile of hers, swallowing the cucco cube in his mouth. "Ah, you know, the usual. Two and a half days of walking. I took the mountain route, so the view was great, and the weather wasn't anything to complain about. I came from Calatia."

"You don't look Calatian, if you don't mind my saying."

"Hylian, actually."

"Hyrule, huh…" her smile widened, almost cheekily. "What's it like?"

Link felt a little sad as he said, "Kind of like here though it never snows up in Death Mountain."

She snorted. "You have a mountain named Death."

"I'm sure we have good reason for that," Link shrugged, "Asking the resident Gorons would be the smart idea, though. The Zoras maintain the rivers and the lake for us, we're too inland to get any sea. We don't have any Deku in our country, though I think there'll be more moving in, considering the amount of traders swarming through."

"What about Gerudo?"

"A Kingdom full of them next door in the deserts. They have the greatest glassware you'd ever see. I think you'll like their work; I've heard how much of an artist you are."

There was a distinct lessening of enthusiasm when she next spoke, returning to her half-smile. "I'm enough of an artist to appreciate the mark round your eye, that's for sure. I'm going to be disowned if _I_ ever get a tattoo, aren't I Kafei?"

"That's what mother still says," Kafei warned, making her chuckle, "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't encourage her Link, she walks past those parlours often enough to endanger Aroma's heart."

"Would it help to say it hurt for a month after?" Link grinned at his old friend, stroking the bold black slashes, "And it was swollen half that time and scabby and pussy all the way through? I could hardly see. And don't get me started on infection scares."

"There you go then," Kafei nodded imperiously, at his younger sister, "Imagine him like that, and as a wrinkled old man who'll look completely ridiculous with those marks drooping down to his beard."

"Ew." Sheik stuck her tongue out cheekily. "But I'd get it somewhere discreet, thank you. It's a fad, you know, getting a tattoo. Especially for girls."

"And here I thought you didn't like joining the bandwagon." Anju commented, putting more vegetables in Iza's plate.

"Well I'd rather have something much like that," Sheik tilted her head towards Link, "Instead of '_The Future is a Mystery, the Past is History, Enjoy Now because it's a Gift, why else would you call it the Present?_', or some other lovey-dovey poem that everybody's getting. Oh Four, don't get me started on what Andria got for her boyfriend. She broke up with him after two weeks of having that tattoo. Ugh."

"They're calling them _tats_ nowadays." Anju sighed dreamily. "If I were young again, I wouldn't mind a-"

"See?" was Sheik's triumphant comment, "Even adults want a tattoo."

"You have to be careful, though," Link added, twiddling his fork, "Tattoos are like a mask. You can hide behind it, make yourself look tough or cute or fashionable, but once it's on, it stays on. You'd have to know it means something to you, and you have to think whether you wouldn't mind it even if you turn wrinkled and slow."

"You sound like you regret your tat," Sheik observed, cocking her head to the side, eyelids drooping from either tire or contemplation. "Do you?"

"On one side, it's practical. It protects me while I'm on the road; makes me look nastier, tougher. If I smile right when I'm feeling knackered I look like a psychopath."

"Link," was Kafei's wary protest,

"_But_," the adventurer continued to appease him, pointing at his marked eye, "I'm easily judged. Because of this, people think I'm immature, hot-headed, rebellious, all the labels that go with 'trouble'. It's hard making the friends I'd like to make; this attracts gangsters and criminals to me like flies to honey. So when, I mean, _if_ you get that permanent mask, make sure it's a subtle one. And avoid the face."

Sheik chuckled and played with her food. "How can I, when my eyes have already tattooed themselves red?"

-,-'-,-'-,-

They all contributed to cleaning the dishes. So it was well into the night by the time Kafei, Link and Sheik got together round a small table in the corner of the inn's common area, slightly set apart from the rest of the customers.

"So, as you know, Link this is Sheik, and vice versa. I'm sure you can guess what he's here for, can't you?" Kafei spoke gravely at the teenager, who nodded.

"I'm no psychic, " Link supplied helpfully, "So what _do_ you think I'm here for?"

Sheik spoke at her knees, her fists clenched tight in her skirt. "You're here to try to block my gift."

Link frowned at that and turned to Kafei. "Is that what you meant by me not being your first choice? You want someone to erase her Sight?"

"No," Kafei spoke like he'd tried arguing his point more than his patience allowed, "I wanted someone who could teach her to _control_ her gift, so she can see what she wants _when_ she wants."

Link highly doubted that that was how magic worked.

"I'm controlling it," Sheik muttered resentfully, "I'm doing just fine."

"You hardly eat, you wake up screaming if you ever get any sort of sleep. I don't think that counts as _fine_."

"It's not like I'm hurting anybody. And there's no disaster coming, I'm sure of it. They're just dreams."

"We're not so concerned about the disasters at this moment." Kafei dismissed, glancing at Link, "It's hurting _us_. We're worried about _you_. By the four, you've been having nightmares for nearly two months now, Bell."

"My _name_," she hissed testily, "Is _Sheik_."

Hoo, boy, Link thought as he leaned back in his chair and watched the show, they've probably forgotten I'm here already.

"You keep insisting that this isn't the future you're seeing, that it's something completely different but it's obviously terrifying you to the point of insomnia! If you're so keen on your gift, and I can assure you I really can't understand _why, _we support you, we do, but can't we tune out the unnecessary torture you're putting yourself through?"

"But I have to See, I have to." Sheik insisted firmly, "What's the point of Seeing if I switch it on and off? What if I miss something?"

"How about your piece of mind? You don't have to do anything if you don't want to!"

"But I _have_ to see!"

"What makes you think it's an obligation?" Link interrupted casually, reminding them that he was still there.

Kafei cleared his throat as they fell into awkward silence. Sheik rubbed her arm as she explained, "I just… I just feel that I should see whatever I'm Seeing. I mean... I have it. It must be for some reason, right? It feels like I owe it to myself that I See."

"You owe it to yourself, huh?" Link wondered out loud, watching her carefully, "You have the talent to see into the future, sure, and wasting a talent is considered a crime by a few people, I'll give you that. But the way you say it just makes it out like a chore. Must do list: Wash dishes, clear out laundry, have nightmares. Order varies."

Kafei raised his hands and said, "Finally some sense!"

"It's not a chore!" she insisted heatedly, "I _want_ to know. I can handle it. I've been handling just fine without help, I'll keep at it as much as I can. I don't know what it is that I'm dreaming about, but… there's this… _need_, to find out what happens at the end."

Link pursed his lips. "That doesn't make much sense."

Sheik made a face, slumped in defeat, and nodded. "I know. But I think it will in the end."

"So, basically, the situation is," Link summarised, "The protective brother wants his stubborn sister to stop giving herself trouble, despite her wanting him to leave her alone to continue. What are you willing to compromise on?"

Kafei leaned towards Link with an eager look in his eyes. "You have a solution?"

"I have _suggestions_, yes."

"I just want to See." Sheik cut in first, as if that would help her get her way.

"I want her to be able to control it." Kafei muttered, "At least enough so she doesn't have visions of total strangers. For Heaven's sake, she should be able to walk the streets in peace."

Link frowned and angled his eyes towards a suddenly sheepish-looking Sheik. "You can see the future of people you _glance_ at?"

She twiddled her thumbs and didn't meet either of their gaze. "Well, if you put it that way..."

A very unhappy thought crossed Link's mind. "Do you… do you see other things? Like their, I don't know… wants? Wishes?"

"No, nothing like that! Just futures, and they're not strong, most times," She protested blushing, making him completely relieved, though she wilted a little under Kafei's glare, "They're like a fog round people's heads. Sometimes one or two jump out at me."

"And when that happens she has migraines for days."

"Kafei!"

"Yikes," Link winced. "Shucks for you to see into _my_ future."

She gave an uneasy grunt in reply, and Link gave a sigh full of pity. The three fell into silence again, and Link drummed one of the masks that hung off his belt, thinking.

"Anyway, suggestions. I've got two."

Kafei perked up, hope in his voice as he said, "Well?"

"Well," the mask-maker repeated just for kick's sake, "I think you should apprentice under Zelda or one of her priests, at least. That'll teach you control."

"You mean ways to block it out." Sheik spoke bluntly.

"Yeah, if they can't help you _refine_ your skill. Though there is the point that they don't do your kind of fortunetelling, _and_ I'm not so sure how keen they are on looking after a girl that doesn't know how her power works. So, as a compromise, I think you should send for some of their texts, see what's written and all that. You'll be surprised how much you can learn from old books. And it'll help the priests feel important without bothering them too much."

"But that'll take two weeks at least," Kafei pointed out, "I know this may be asking too much of you, but I was hoping for a quicker solution."

"That is why," Link continued with a slight nod, "I think Sheik and I should go to the Ikana Canyons."

There was an incredulous, almost horrified pause at that. Link wondered what he'd said wrong. Kafei gathered himself with difficulty and reiterated, "Ikana Canyons."

"Yes."

"The Wasteland." He clarified.

"Yes."

"…May I ask _why_?"

Link shrugged, leaning back against his seat, "Well, you said yourself that Sheik's the last of the Ikana Shamans. If you don't have a teacher, go straight for the history. There's bound to be something there that'll help you," Link turned his head in Sheik's general direction, finding her staring at him between surprise and confusion. "I've got some contacts there, and while we travel I'll see if I can make a mask that'll help you sleep, or something. If you feel uncomfortable travelling alone with me, you can bring a friend or two. No more than two though, and make sure they're fit kids. It'll be a long tramp."

"Now wait a minute," Sheik's elder brother blurted with some alarm, "You can't just _decide_ to go, not like this?"

"With your permission, of course," Link added.

"What about monsters? Have you forgotten the monsters?"

"Kafei," the mask-maker sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile, "Really? _Really_?"

The dark-haired mayor, after a reluctant pause, sighed and conceded, "You're right, yes, how very silly of me."

Sheik shuffled in her seat and a smile grew on her face. "So I… I can go?"

Kafei wearily rubbed his face in defeat. "Yes, yes, just make sure, as Link said, your friend is a strong one."

"I know exactly who to take," Sheik sighed, drooping over her knees. Then she mumbled about it being late and she stumbled onto her feet, clearly about to topple to sleep from exactly where she stood, and Link watched her go with some trepidation.

"She'll need a horse. She won't be able to pretend being preppy the whole tramp."

"You better know what you're doing Link," Kafei sighed, as he too stood up to go to bed, "You are gambling with my sister's health."

Well, Link couldn't help but think, it's also the health of my childhood crush. I'm pretty sure there is no better guarantee safety-wise.

-,-'-,-'-,-

In the morning Link was having his doubts.

He knew that going for the Ikana Canyons was the best idea, at least in _his _head. He could use the Captain's Hat to talk with Igos and the other zombies in the Castle; they probably had first-hand knowledge and experience concerning the Shamans. Some texts would be vague at best, and Link wouldn't know how to read them anyway. Gathering-information-wise, it was the best bet. It was the tramp that Link was concerned about.

He should've thought of this earlier. Spending long periods of time with Sheik would _not_ be good for his heart. It would be a way to get to know her, but... damn it, she was seventeen. A child. He shouldn't be feeling things for her, not _now_, not after so long. Her choice of friend was another shock from reality. He could feel his chances (not that he had any in the first place) to reacquaint himself with her dying damn quickly.

The pony that Kafei hired for the journey was small, sturdy, and good-natured. After a few pats and a low murmur by Link it was completely devoted to his every whim and need. It also helped that the creature had been sent over from Romani ranch; they reportedly had better horses than the Gorman brothers.

Link's pack of masks was significantly smaller. The masks he sold and bartered were left in the room of the inn, neatly displayed on the walls. Anju would see to it that if they caught an interested eye, they'd be sold for the right price and the money would go to pay for Link's stay. The Masks he _kept_ with him, however, would come to good use.

Link uneasily shifted his pack. There was one particular Mask he really wished didn't have to accompany them, but that couldn't be helped, he supposed…

"Who're you?"

The masks-maker jumped and turned, hand instinctively flying over his shoulder. But there was no monster, only a teenage boy with a red cap and a scowl. The hand came back with a happy mask in its grasp, and Link forced a grin as the sword across his back ached to be used. "Hello and welcome to the Travelling Happy Masks Sellers. All the masks you could ever want or need, identities and adventures right at your fingertips-"

"Right, whatever," the teenager grumbled impatiently, "I'm not here for you. I came for Bell."

The blond adult batted his eyelashes curiously as the teenager pushed past. It took him a while to connect that name with Sheik. "Ah. You her friend?"

The boy turned and made a 'so what's it to you?' kind of face. Link blinked and properly looked at him as Sheik came out and greeted the boy with a hug. He looked... familiar. His hair was almost ginger in hue, and freckles marked almost every spot of the boy's skin, from the back of his pale neck to the tips of his gangly fingers. He was just above average tall, wearing an outfit that reminded the mask-maker of the carnival builders. The name Sheik called him registered after a short but strenuous brain process.

"Oh Nayru," Link twisted his face in horror. "Jim? _Jim_? From the Bombers?"

Sheik yawned. "Wha?"

Jim gawped at Link before looking displeased and blushing. "How... how do you know about that?"

The young man seriously debated in his mind whether to deny all knowledge of knowing Jim previously, but somehow he doubted that would work. "It's me. Link. You made me chase you round the Town for your password to the observatory. This was years and years ago." After a puzzled pause from Jim the Hylian pointed at his face incredulously. "Don't you remember me? Okay, so the tattoo across the face doesn't help, but..."

The boy seemed to think about it reluctantly, but the face eventually dawned in remembrance. "You're the kid in the skirt!"

"_Tunic_!" Link cried out with exasperation as Sheik laughed, "How many times do I have to _tell_ people that?"

"Maybe because _tunics_," Sheik teased, "Was something that went out of fashion when Great Granna turned five."

"So everybody claims," Link muttered disdainfully, waving the teenagers over, "Now come on. Get on the pony, we're going."

Jim stopped in his tracks and looked at Sheik and Link and back at Sheik again. "Wait a minute. This guy's coming?"

"Yeah," Link agreed, helping Sheik up onto the pony, telling her that her name was Alyssa, "It was my idea."

Jim's look of outrage would have been priceless in any other situation. "But I thought Bell and me were going alone!"

Link whistled and cocked his eyebrow. "You thought Kafei would trust you with her, alone in the wilderness, for more than a week? You were obviously thinking with the wrong head, buddy."

Jim blushed again, and snarled. "So what are you, a _chaperone_?"

"And bodyguard, guide, and general helper. Also I make sure you stay alive."

Jim opened his mouth to probably protest about his abilities to stay perfectly healthy in the wild, but Sheik cut him off. "Jim, shut up, please. You know the canyons are nasty. Besides, Link's been employed by Kafei. He has to come along, whether he wants to or not."

Link's heart earned a good stab from that comment. He quelled the urge to protest, to tell her that he would've come along with or without pay, because it was the right thing to do, making sure a bunch of kids stayed safe, taking responsibility for the suggestion he'd made. Even if Sheik wasn't who she was (or _was_ who she was, though that just got confusing), he would've come.

He was still coming, despite the fact that he knew full well that Jim was Sheik's boyfriend, wasn't he? That action alone, in his opinion, made him worthy of a medal.

The boy, or the young man, since he was about nineteen or twenty, gave a disgruntled curse before marching up to Alyssa the pony, pulled Sheik down a little and kissed her right in front of Link's eyes. The Hylian's grip on the pony's stirrups tightened till his knuckles turned white, nails digging into his palms.

Link quelled the urge to smash in Jim's face. Oh, he definitely deserved a medal for this. Two, in fact. One for dedication, the latter for self-control.

Sheik made a face and blushed as Jim let her go. "What the hell was _that_ for?"

Jim shrugged. "We can't do much else than that with a chaperone round, can we?"

She gasped and burned bright red. "_Jim_!"

The young man glared at Link, having fully established who belonged to who, and spoke with contempt. "So, chaperone, why don't you lead the way?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Just don't forget to control yourself, lover boy."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

**So, now, REVIEW REPLIES!**

**_HumonRiot_: Thank you! Ahaha, it's good to have a really loving person reading my stuff, it's great! When I update I'm always like, 'I'm these people like it'. Thanks so much for your constant review!**

**_goldenrhino_: Very true. It doesn't really follow the history, but hey, it's fanfiction. XD Liberties are wonderful things to take. Then again, I could just make up on the spot that though Impa's hometown is Kakariko, her _family_ came from Termina. Like a Japanese person living in New Zealand and calling themeselves Kiwi. Like me. :P**

**_Meta Zangetsu_: Thanks for your support! I hope you keep reading and reviewing and most of all enjoyed this chapter.**

**_HelloToday_: Hi Hellotoday! It really has been a while, huh? Thanks so much for your support, and I hope you liked this chapter too. Yeah, Tingle. I always felt sorry for him when I shot him down, so... mwahaha. **

**_Missing Triforce_: Thank you! Oh man, it's good to know my writing's improved over the year(s). Here I was, thinking I hadn't put in enough descriptions... hopefully I'll keep it this way. Teehee, brick-summoning-stick. **

**_k-shee_: Awesome! Good to know I've pleased a usual... whatever. To be honest, though, I WOULD write mail Sheik as a partner, and I have, once, but it was REALLY DIFFICULT. Partly because I'm straight. I'll try another time, maybe.**

**_Shunky: _Lol, okay, that's totally fine. So you hate girlSheik, that's fine. But I don't get WHY I can't have Sheik a girl, you know? It's not like it's in a rule book, 'Sheik must be a guy'. If so, the rule has been broken like a cinamon stick. Why? Cause they're brittle. Or that Link must be a guy (neatly snapped in half, also by myself). Hey, it's canon! XD**

**LOL**

**Please review and I shall be replying! See you guys in the next chapter!**


	3. Rain

**Hey there! XD I changed the title! I hope this attracts more readers, because seriously? The stats is LOOOOOW. It's lower than my oneshots, adn that's saying something. (;_;)**

**Review****replies**** will be at the bottom! Hope you enjoy the fic! **

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_Chapter 3_

When they set up camp at the edge of the field Link made the young man jealous by displaying his many magic equipment and impressing Sheik. The stick that summoned bricks (it was originally supposed to summon earthquakes and landslides, but it was clear the design had superbly failed) was used to create the fire-pit, the crystal that summoned Din's fire was used to light said fire, and from one of the many flat pockets of his pack he pulled out two tents and a chair.

Sheik was laughing at the chair that sprung virtually out of nowhere as Jim crossed his arms and scowled. Link grinned at him before standing up, watching the sun close on the horizon. "I'll leave you guys to set up the tents; the smaller one's for you, Sheik, and the bigger one we boys will share. I'll get us some dinner."

Jim perked at this, eyeing the Hylian suspiciously. "What, we're not going to eat the stuff we brought? I thought that was the point of supplies."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Link conceded, as he picked up his bow and proceeded to string it, "But I'd rather keep them supplied till Ikana. Cuz the only food we'll get there is... actually, I won't tell you. You don't want to know."

Jim snorted sceptically. Sheik rolled her eyes and playfully punched his arm. Link turned away from the fond exchange, telling himself that the pain in his chest was extremely unnecessary, that this Sheik was different to the one that he'd fallen for.

But still...

Link told himself to toughen up and with a frustrated twang of the bow he shot down a guay. He jogged over to it and picked up the corpse, deciding to pluck it before the others got a glimpse of what they were eating. Link considered for a brief moment to track down that freaking annoying bird that'd stolen his money on numerous occasions. Then again, they were basically on the wrong end of the field, and it was probably dead by now, unless there were some evil descendants to think about...

Link noticed a rabbit and shot that down too. A few more morsels of prey and then he'd go back to camp. He wondered vaguely whether it'd been attacked by a chuchu or two.

It _would _be interesting to see how Jim handled that, but Link hurried back, just in case.

When he came back everything seemed fine. Sheik was having a snooze, and both tents were up. The packs were neatly put away, and beside the merry fire there was some bread, which Link scowled at. He turned to the dark and called out, "Jim?"

The young man emerged from the tent and crossed his arms. "Yeah?"

He pointed at the bread, blatantly obvious in the firelight. "What part of 'keep the supplies supplied' did you not understand?"

"The part where we brought the supplies so we could eat them, not let them rot in our packs."

Link wearily rubbed his tattooed face and sighed. "Is that your bread?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Then I suppose you can eat it how you like. But if you so much as ask for more, even from me, especially from Sheik, I'm kicking you out."

Jim glared down at him, stepping a little closer to show who was the taller out of the two. "You can't make me."

Link glowered, and in the firelight the tattoo around his eye seemed to glow red. "You'll find that I can be persuasive."

Mutual dislike confirmed, Jim claimed to watch over Bell and sat next to her, tucking her tightly into her blanket. Link started roasting the guay, rabbit and the large dragonfly that was more common in the swamps, and decided Sheik would get the rabbit, and Jim would be getting the guay and some of the softer parts of the dragonfly. Link preferred the tougher tail; it had the bight of its electric stinger.

-,-'-,-'-,-

There was a particularly nasty feeling to dinner as the meat finished cooking. Sheik's doze had gone from peaceful to disturbed, and when she began to toss and turn, whimpering once in a while, there was a thin veil of cold sweat on her forehead and no matter how hard Jim shook her she refused to wake.

Link had bit his lip and got a glass of water ready for when the dream allowed her to escape its grasp.

Maybe five minutes later she woke up screaming, and she had a nasty look on her, barred teeth and a terrible, terrible snarl, her hands shaped into a claw that may have held something in her dream, a weapon, a hand, anything.

It looked like she was fighting a beast, or about to become one.

"Bell, Bell!"

Sheik was gasping like she'd run a mile, her dream-glazed eyes dimming into reality. Jim tried to shake her again, but Link stopped him. Jim wrenched his arm away from his grip, snarling, "What are you doing!"

"People who have nightmares don't like being manhandled, trust me," Link murmured, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Sheik. Sheik, you with us?"

She looked at them, really looked at them, and coughed. "...What?"

Jim held her shoulders, kissing her dazed cheek. "You alright, Bell?"

"Could you please choose a name to call me?" Sheik murmured, shaking, "I could do without the extra confusion."

"Yeah, yeah, that's totally fine," Jim pressed her head against the crook of his shoulder, and Link's heart wrenched at the sight of her allowing it to happen. The young man glared at Link, daring him to disagree with the name that _he_ wanted to call her.

The Hylian gave him the glass of water to give to her to distract him. "And what do you want to be called, young lady?"

Her red eyes flashed in the firelight as she said, "Sheik."

"Sheik it is, then," Link said this while Jim glared at him, a dissatisfied scowl twisting his face. "Now come on, you should eat."

Sheik shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Link shook his head right back at her. "You might change your opinion once you've had a bite or two. What kind of meat you want?"

Jim snorted. "There're varieties?"

"Tastes like chicken, tastes like rabbit, tastes like fish."

Sheik laughed. She laughed and laughed and laughed, but when they ate there was still the sense of uneasiness between the three. None of the two dared ask Sheik what her dreams were about, and were wondering whether dinner was going to be a quiet affair till Sheik spoke up, "So, what's it like, travelling all over?"

Link realised that he was the one being addressed, and cleared his throat before replying. "It depends on what you mean. Financially, I don't have to pay taxes, I can hunt for my own food, and clothes come cheap since they're all second-hand. I can glorify being dirt poor pretty easily and justify being jumpy all the time."

Sheik chuckled.

Link grinned and continued with his wry monologue, "I'm my own boss, I can do whatever I want whenever I want, except for carnivals and the like, since I need to sell whatever I've made since I last took up shop. I get to see places that you only see in books or hear from a stranger that you're pretty half sure he's lying. It's fun. If you're alright with being lonely."

"How often do you come to Termina?"

"Pretty often," Link admitted, ripping at his dragonfly's tail.

"Then why don't we ever see you?" Jim questioned, "We've got a few carnivals of our own.'

"I know," Link agreed, remembering his one deathly Carnival of Time, "But they're never on when I'm around, so I usually just skim the borders, like here, to get to other countries."

"Will you tell us a few stories?" she pleaded, and Link was happy to oblige if only just to distract her from her nightmares.

"Well, once I ended up riding out to sea on a giant sea turtle..."

-,-'-,-'-,-

"You gonna sleep alright?" Jim asked her as they prepared for the night, Link carefully eavesdropping without seeming to, adding wood to the fire, making some bricks disappear, generally pretending to be occupied.

"I'll be fine," she murmured, gently kissing him. "Good night."

Jim stole himself another kiss before giving her a hug and entering the tent him and Link were going to share. Sheik faltered a little before approaching Link, and the Hylian stood and asked what was wrong.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me. Well, helping _us_, get to Ikana. I can't wait till I find a solution that'll make everybody happy."

Link didn't think Sheik keeping her Sight would make a particular boyfriend happy, but he didn't mention it. "Um..."

Link brought his attention back to her. "Yeah?"

"When we were talking with Kafei, I don't remember what you said you're here for. You said you weren't his first choice. What did he mean by that?"

He shrugged and told her frankly, "It means I don't possess the magic that'll improve your gift. Or erase it, for that matter. To be honest, I'm not the best person to be consulting about prophecy and fortunetelling."

"Then... sorry if this sounds rude, but, why are you here?"

Link pursed his lips and said, "Let's put it this way; what are your dreams about?"

She flinched. "I... I don't want to say."

"Why?"

"It's... I don't know."

"I'm assuming you're afraid to say it out loud because by bringing the dreams to reality, you might make them happen. So you don't know whether they're just dreams, do you. They might become true. Believe me, I know how that feels; I've had my fair share of nightmares. Anyway, I'm here to prevent that."

Sheik was a flustered mess. Link assumed his statement was somewhat correct, though he didn't indulge himself in the idea of completely figuring her out. That was just silly. Then she angrily balled her fists and hissed, "Then what _are_ you here for?"

"To fight your demons for you, if you want to put it dramatically." He joked, crossing his arms over his chest, "I used to be a mercenary of sorts before I got into the masks business. Kafei hired me in the event that whatever you're dreaming about comes true, I fight it till it's stone cold dead."

Sheik laughed cynically. "You wouldn't win. _Nobody_ would win."

"I'll bet my life on it, then," Link shrugged, crouching and rummaging through his pack, "Now, I thought you might be interested in this so I brought it along. I found it through travelling, and it belonged to the Sheikah." He pulled out the mask that he'd cared about most, before reluctantly giving it to her. "The Mask of Truth."

She took it from him with a puzzled expression, but when she caught its shape and colouring in the firelight she gasped, shocked rapture shining in her eyes. "Oh my god."

Link chuckled.

"Oh my _god_."

"They say the Sheikah wore it to see through illusions, whatever that means," Link explained blandly, knowing full well what that meant, "It may just be a useless antique, but you know."

"It's beautiful," she gushed, "Thank you. Thank you so much. It's... it's beautiful."

-,-'-,-'-,-

_He was sobbing behind the large dead form of the Deku Tree, leaning against the strange Gossip Stone. The shock of not being a _Kokiri_, of never belonging in a place where he'd thought was home, hurt him deep in the core. He was never going to be able to play with Saria. He would never fit in his tree house. And he had a sudden fear that he couldn't talk about, the possibility of his fear coming true paralysing him with loneliness and grief._

_Navi was shushing him as kindly as she could, fluttering by his ear as he burrowed his face in his knees, his arms wrapped protectively round his legs. "Link, sweetheart, everything's going to be fine, nothing's changed, really..."_

"Everything's_ changed, Navi, _everything_," Link choked, banging his fist against the grass, "I'm _Hylian_, I'm not... I thought..."_

"_But you were always Hylian to begin with, weren't you? You just didn't know. Nothing's changed, it's just that you didn't know. But now you do."_

"_Exactly! _That_ changed everything, don't you get it!" Link snapped, startling the fairy with his twisted expression, "I'm not Kokiri! I don't need a fairy to live! I don't..." tears rolled down his eyes, the colour and emotion draining falling down his face with them, "You don't have to hang around with me anymore... I'm not... I'm not even a half-runt like Mido always said..."_

"_What's a half-runt?" a new voice said, and Link jerked back and Navi flashed a menacing colour. But it was the stranger Sheik, who was looking puzzled at the dejected form of the Hero of Time. "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing." Link wiped his face and tried to stand. "Nothing, go away."_

"_Oh, but, it doesn't _look_ like nothing," the red-eyed man hesitantly stepped over the root of the dead Tree, extending a hand. "You're crying, you know."_

"_I'm not _crying_!" Link spat, barring his teeth, as he scrambled to his feet, "Now leave me alone!"_

_Sheik stepped back, looking hurt. The Hylian blinked in surprise, because he'd immediately regretted yelling and had expected some sort of reprimand. After all, this was Sheik. At the Temple of Time and at the Forest Temple, he'd looked and acted so... strict. And adult. This Sheik was... different._

_The strange Sheik hesitated before saying again, "But... you're crying."_

_Link wiped his face again and defiantly crossed his arms. "Fine. I'm _crying_. Boo-hoo and wah-wah. You gonna tell Zelda?"_

"_No," Sheik cocked his head to the side. "That would be mean."_

_Link pointed with an accusing finger."So you _do_ know where she is!"_

_Sheik looked even more confused as the conversation turned on him, "Yeah, but..."_

"_Tell me where she is!"_

"_I can't, it's a sec-"_

_Link roared and lunged at him. He was an upset child, he'd been disturbed in his misery, and he wanted something to hit and blame everything on. Since Zelda or Ganondorf wasn't in sight, Sheik would have to do._

_They wrestled in the grass with Navi yelling them to _STOP IT_ but Link was determined to pull at Sheik's hair, bash his nose in, bight his arm, do whatever he could to get rid of the ache of betrayal and the downright depressing anguish _out_ of his soul._

_Sheik was pretty determined to hurt Link back tooth-for-tooth, and was fairly justified since Link had, as far as he was concerned, attacked for no apparent reason. _

_The tussle didn't last long as Sheik punched Link in the side where he'd earned the nastiest bruise from Phantom Ganon. Link howled and forced Sheik away, curling in on the wound._

_Navi fluttered over to him, shrieking, "Link! Link are you alright? Sheik how dare you!"_

_Sheik scrambled to sit up, waving his arms round apologetically. "I'm sorry! Link I'm re-oowww..." Link saw him press his hand where his mouth would be, and red bloomed over the cowl. "I think you cut my lip."_

_Navi gave a frustrated sound that seemed close to tears as well. "Why'd you attack him, Link? For goodness' sake he's on our side!" _

_Link curled a little tighter round his wound and whimpered. He didn't want to say anything. He didn't want to _do_ anything. At least not for a while. He just wanted to be left alone, he just..._

"_Um..." Sheik hesitantly raised his hand and said, "I'm... actually a girl."_

_The fairy and Hero stared at him, no, her. Sheik seemed to jump in realisation and begged, "Wait, that's supposed to be secret, I wasn't supposed to tell you, oh man, oh man, just, please don't tell uh... when you see me again don't remind me that I told you, just pretend you still think I'm a boy, because I _am_ a boy, you know, just don't, um..."_

_Link burst out laughing. When he looked at Sheik he laughed harder, because he looked so ridiculously embarrassed. Sheik sheepishly scratched his head. "You know I... I act weird, right?"_

"_You're doing it right now." Navi dead-panned, and Link laughed a little longer before calming down._

"_Well, it's," Sheik seemed to struggle with his, no, _her_, goddesses Link was going to have to get used to thinking of Sheik as a girl, "Well, I'm... I'm a twin. I'm the younger one. The one that'll be teaching you songs, the strict one... _he's_ my older twin. We're pretending to be the same person. So, we're both Sheik, you know?"_

_Link sat up and wiped his nose. He checked it in case it was bleeding, but it just ached, thankfully. "That makes sense."_

"_I'm not supposed to be friends with you. I'm not, I'm not really good at keeping quiet, so, that's why... but, I want to be friends. With you. If you want to, too."_

_Link shared a glance with Navi before staring at the nervous Sheikah, not quite sure whether they could trust him-her._

"_Because, I don't have much friends," Sheik admitted, shyly peering at the two, "And, I thought you might want another friend, too."_

_Link sniffed loudly through his aching nose, and grimaced in his attempts to not smile. "Well, I did punch you, eh."_

"_Yeah, you did."_

"_Does it still hurt?"_

"_Yes...?"_

"_I'll be your friend, then. Cuz you know... a girl getting punched and not crying's kind of impressive."_

_Sheik laughed, and Link joined her. _

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link woke up, and sighing, pulled off his mask. He flipped it over and gave an exasperated moan. This mask wasn't the one he'd wanted to wear. It was a simple porcelain mask, covering only the top half of his face, carved to fit the contours of his eyes and nose perfectly, so it'd stay on even in his sleep. Of course there were no eyeholes. He had two of these; the one that he'd _wanted _to wear had one closed eye and one opened eye drawn on, the opened eye looking distinctly canine and panicked. The Watchdog Mask, as he'd dubbed it, was supposed to wake him as soon as danger neared.

Instead he was wearing the mask with both eyes open with a third vertical eye glaring from the forehead. He'd made it because he'd had material left over from the first one, and he'd needed to remember lots of passwords to get into a fortified enemy base. So he'd named it the Mask of Remembrance. He uneasily put it away, wondering vaguely if it was being possessed. Shit like that happened way too often.

"Get up, lover boy," the Hylian slapped Jim in his shoulder area, making him moan, "We've got breakfast and the trek ahead to think about."

Link wasn't surprised to find the subject of his dreams already awake, looking haunted by dreams of her own. She was holding the Mask of Truth between her hands, delicately tracing its open mouth with a fingertip.

She hid it in her pack as soon as she heard signs of Jim coming into sight.

The Hylian let the younger two eat last night's leftovers as he packed away his tent. Sheik had already neatly folded hers, putting in question how long before dawn she'd awoken. Link didn't mention it, however, as he slipped the tents into one of his pack's bottomless pockets.

_Ploint_.

Link squinted at the new dark mark on his pack. Rain, on the Second Day. Shuddering, he looked up at the sky and almost expected the glaring moon to be bearing down at him, shrouded in the beginnings of thunderclouds. Thankfully the moon wasn't there, even though the threatening clouds were.

But still. Link considered digging up Majora from the bog to burn it, just to ease his dread.

Jim was fussing over Sheik. It looked like she was trying to convince him to take turns on Alyssa, but he was fervently declining and making her get on. Well. Attitude aside, he was good to her. She seemed happy. Sheik'd had a proper life, she'd grown up, she had friends, she had Jim.

He sighed as he fingered the Mask of Remembrance. Link had his memories. That should be enough.

-,-'-,-'-,-

It went from spitting to raining to downright pouring over a few hours. The hard ground couldn't soak up the water at all; it let it run down between their legs like a new born river, and Sheik got off of Alyssa to help her up their track. They'd passed the fences and were now at a place where the cliffs and slopes and tracks all met, and the rain fell down each and every one of the stony facets of the canyon and surged in on the trampers.

Link knew with some trepidation that they weren't getting the worst of what was quickly turning into a storm. It wasn't so dark yet, but he knew without a doubt that it would become very much like night, and then real night would cloak the place into further darkness and cold. Even before that the wind would come with the lightning, and Alyssa would bolt without a doubt as soon as the latter came crashing down on them.

He'd planned this tramp meticulously; he'd expected to be slowed down by things, like bomb-rats and other creatures, but real nature was being a bigger bitch than he could've possibly imagined.

They wouldn't make it to where he'd wanted to go. So Link sharply changed direction, pulling Alyssa towards a crossroad they'd just walked past.

"Where are you taking us!" Jim demanded over the rain, holding Sheik's hand as she shivered against his side.

Link gave him the lantern and pointed in the right direction. "Keep following that track!"

"Where does it go!" he stubbornly snapped back, and Link told him frankly,

"The Graveyard."

"_What_!"

"I know the keeper! Now get going!" Link ordered, pushing them ahead as he calmed Alyssa and pulled her along. The water sloshed, and there was a flash of light that had nothing to do with the lantern that spooked the poor pony.

Link shushed her and hoped Dampe still had that stable.

* * *

**So the first meeting between between Link and Sheik has been revealed! And some masks I totally made up. There will be more of those, and the next chapter will go onto how he makes them. It will also reveal how disturbed in the mind I am. **

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_HumanRiot_: My plot bunnies are very proud of their work! To be honest I've already written up 12 chapters and nearly finishing 13. IT'S INSANE. I wihs my brain cells would work more diligently for OUaF. I look forward to your reviews too, thank you so much for your support!**

**_k-shee_: Yaaaaaay! XD Good to know! Just for that, I'll try to get a maleSheik story up, see if i can make something out of it. Actually I've got an idea... And yes, you're absolutely right. Link, we love torturing you, because it's just SO MUCH FUN. But I'm sure they'll be a happy ending in store for you... maybe... ;D**

**_goldenrhino_: Thaaaaaaaaaaank you!**

**_V musicka_: Thank you! I wasn't so sure about the age difference thing at first, but that would just make it just that bit easier for Link, and I couldn't have that. lol. Thank you for your kind words, i hope the wait was worth this chapter!**

**REVIEW PEOPLE, PLEASE?-?-?**


	4. Ritual

**An_d_ here is chapter 4! Not many reviews last time, which made me sad, but there're like, nine people who have this on alerts, so I'm very grateful for that. There isn't much to this chapter except lots of voodoo crap that will make you wonder what's wrong in my head, but hey. **

**Thank you all for coming, and reading. Please review! The replies from last chapter are at the bottom. :)**

* * *

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4 - Ritual

Link was glad the dead didn't prefer the rain. He'd brought the Captain's Hat just in case, but he still didn't want to freak out the youngsters any more than necessary, and talking to walking skeletons who're somewhat interested in killing them off was definitely more than necessary.

Jim was already knocking hard against the door, Sheik huddled against his side. Link quickly put Alyssa into shelter before pushing past Jim and barging in. "Dampe, you in?"

"Wh-what are you doing," Sheik chattered her teeth, even as Jim walked her in. "We shouldn't be going in without permission,"

"Oh, we have a pact," he waved off, opening and closing a few doors, "I can come in whenever I like, he can yell at me however he likes."

The door banged open and lightning roared. A very old, very hunchbacked man dripped into the hut from outside, shaking on a walking stick that was in fact a shovel on second glance, and a very knobbly, battered hand pulled down the raincoat's hood.

"An' ye make sure tha' when yer c'mover," the stranger rumbled, "Tha' ye keep th'stiffs quie' in ther beds. Ye kner how terrfied I am a'them."

Link spun around at the voice and Jim and Sheik backed away from the door. The Hylian surged forward and grabbed the old man by the shoulders and looked at him, really _looked_ at him and a pained sound escaped his throat, making the old man laugh like rolling gravel.

"Oh by the three," Link shook his head with a tone of despair, "By the Blessed Triad and the Fierce Deity and even the Mad God, what has time _done_ to you?"

"What He des t'all the creaches tha'live. But wha'ave _ye_ done?" Dampe grumbled back, slapping his palm against the young man's cheek, "Din'n take ye fer'a relijus tye'."

Link laughed with some difficulty, taking his hands away from Dampe, gesturing helplessly at the old man's luggage. "I thought having the Deity's mark might keep Bad Stuff away."

Dampe chuckled as he went about turning on the lights. "It work?"

The Hylian shook his head with a wry smile. "The opposite. They come to me so fast I've learnt to duck days in advance."

Dampe's raucous laugh sounded like hacking coughs, despite the obvious humour. He moved to light more oil lanterns round his living room, unveiling a fur rug, a simple and very broken in couch, a table that could just barely hold two people for a meal. "An' who're these green'orns, eh? Don' remember givin'_em_ permishun t'disturb m'home."

"I'm sorry," Link apologised, extending his hand out to them, "We would have gone straight past if it weren't for the sudden downpour. The boy is Jim, and the girl is Sheik."

Dampe perked up and gave Link a quizzical look. He then hobbled towards Sheik and peered up at her face, but he seemed dissatisfied with what he could see. "Boy, Jim, er'wha'ever yer name is, brin'me ligh'. I wan' t'ave a good look a' this lass."

"I'm no-" He stopped at the very, very disturbing look the craggy old man was giving him under his sagging flesh, dull tiny eyes flashing with something that wasn't quite a sane mind. Jim shuddered. "Which one?"

"Any's fine," Dampe grunted, waving him away as he kept his eye on Sheik, "Si'down, lass, y'all muss be tired. Ged'down, ave a seat, ave a seat."

"Um...?" she looked from Link to Dampe and back again, making the old man chuckle.

"Yer wonderin' how me in' Link know wunna'nother? Eh, li'le cluck there go'hisself hurt once'e'pon'e'time."

Link sheepishly patted his hands against his trousers as he explained, "I got my left arm pinned underneath a landslide when I was here a long, long time ago. I was starving for two days before Dampe got to me. I owe him my life."

"I beh' nort many fellers'er able t'say _tha_," Dampe chuckled as Jim brought a light over, "Eh, now, lemme have a looki'ye... ah, now, tha's a fine gaze ye got ther, a fine, fine, red."

Sheik blushed under the old man's scrutiny and looked down. "Thank you."

"Where'rye all headin', eh?"

"To the Ikana Castle, to see... uh..." Sheik glanced at Jim and coughed, "Well, I have this... thing, I need to sort out..."

"Hmm..." Dampe looked from Link to the two Terminians and nodded. "Y'all can stay th'nigh'. This storm won'be endin' soon, tha's fer sher."

Link sighed. "Thank you. What can I do to make your life easy for now?"

"I go' no food fer ye. Ye gonna hafta fen' fer yeselves. Go' supplies?"

Link nodded. "Yes."

"Tha's fine, then. You two ge'th'fire goin', Link an' I have some catchin' up ta do. Ou'side, clucky."

"Clucky?" Jim asked, a little snidely, "Is that short for chicken, Mr. Chaperone?"

"No, he calls me that because he thinks I'm insane for chasing after some stray fairies during an earthquake. Hence the getting pinned under the landslide."

Link grinned at Jim's expression and stepped into the rain.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link used both of his arms to shield his face from the slamming rain, and hurried to the arch where the Captain of the Ikana military had been put to rest. Dampe was waiting in the meagre shelter it offered, and it took Link only a few seconds to reach his side.

"So... Ikana, eh?" Dampe asked, and sighing, Link explained about Sheik's dreams, her possible position as a Seer, and her lack of control over her gift. But the explanation was curt at best. If this was what Dampe wanted to talk about, he would have asked in the hut, not in the miserable cold. Once the idle chatter was done, there was an awkward and uneasy quiet between them that seemed to muffle even the storm.

"Have ye no'iced?" Dampe asked, and Link, after a hesitant pause, nodded.

The old man sighed. He lifted his hands, spotted and wrinkled with age, bony and chapped and stiff. Even in Link's cold, rain-soaked hands, Dampe's fingers and palms were like ice. Link grasped them, the deep pain in his chest mirrored on his face. "You're dying."

"Or... already 'arf dead."

Link gritted his teeth. "Don't say that."

"Tis true."

Letting go of his hands Link grasped Dampe's shoulders again, where he'd felt the weak jutting bones, the cold that seeped from the clothes. The _sense _of something that shouldn't be walking, much less breathing, anymore. "Gods, Dampe, you can't die. Please don't die."

The old man sighed, releasing his hands from Link's fingers to gesture helplessly, "I'm near there, clucky. An' no. Don'. I c'n see i'on yer face, boy, yer thinkin' o'somthin. There's nothin'ere t'do. All there's to'it is lettin' go."

"But, but," there had to be something. A mask. A spell. A mushroom. The Lost Woods where time was forever lost, something, _anything_, to save Dampe. "You _can't die_."

A toothy grin. "Course I'can. I'm doin'it righ'now."

Tears stabbed at Link's eyes, frustrated and helpless and so very scared. "That's not what I meant!"

Dampe laughed. Link sunk to his knee and held the old man round his humped shoulders and sobbed, tears falling down his face almost as fast as the rain. "I should've visited more often."

"An' led'all those king'ums an' pepple fall? Nah, this ol' man na worth'i'."

The young man sobbed like a child as the old man patted his back. "Isn't there... isn't there _anything_ I could do...?"

Link felt him shrug. "Nothin' much. Ye've don plenny a'ready. Bu'... why na' visi'still? I migh'na'be as dead an' still as ye'd expect; the magic inna graves're... in me bones, see? The stiffs're star'in'a like me. Mabes I c'n'elp'em along, like ye do. Or if no'... it'll b'good ta know tha' I have ye t'put me down."

Link nodded, hiccupping, calming his breathing. If he came back, _when_ he came back, Dampe might still be walking around, taking care of the graves, sans heartbeat and flesh.

But. _But. _Link gritted his teeth at the possibility, the _probability_ of the old man losing his mind to decay and time; the only reason the King of Ikana and the Captain had retained their minds was because of their regrets, their duties, their almost malicious determination to stay the _hell_ alive. Dampe wasn't like that. He wouldn't cling to life so jealously, wouldn't meticulously remind himself who he was, what his duty was, because he didn't feel the _need_. It was just his way of life; if his life faded, so would his way. He was easy-going like that.

_But Link wasn't._

"I'll make you a mask." Link decided, breaking the embrace and glaring determinedly at his old friend, "Just give me a night, and I'll have it done for you. It's the least I can do."

Dampe knew full well what kind of mask Link was talking about. "An' what'll i'do?"

Link was making this up as he went, but he was planning it all at the same time, he knew the ritual, hell, he'd been studying it for years... "It'll define you. It'll allow you to keep at the graveyard, talk with the dead, and help them come to terms with their death and grief. It'll keep your memories, your hopes, your sanity, everything. It'll bind you here, but if you ever get tired of it all you'll have to do is burn the mask and you'll be free. With, with the right materials I can probably allow you to... well, look like _you_, even after you've..."

Dampe grinned. "Bleached?"

"...That's a good euphemism."

The old man laughed, and choked and coughed until there was blood in his hand. When he breathed it sounded like his ribs rattled, and Link's heart gave a horrible, frightened twist. The grave-keeper laughed again extending his hand. "Ye gonna need'is ta make ye mask?"

Link didn't like making masks like this. Trapping a dead soul was one thing, but asking the materials from a living person... "I'm so sorry, but yes, and I'd need a tear, clippings from your fingernails, a couple of your eyelashes, your spit and... you might want to pee in a cup for me."

"As'some skin while yerrat't," Dampe laughed, "I've ga'blissers tha' need peelin'."

Link hesitated at his words. He knew that reassuring tone. "Dampe, if you just want to rest in peace I, I can handle that, you don't have to let me ease my own mind-"

"Ff'it saves me th'missry'a'makin' ye kill me orf ta _keep_ m'down," Dampe told him severely, "Y'can have wha'ever ye need, boy."

"...Thank you."

"Nah, boy. Thank _ye_."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link skipped dinner. Dampe made excuses for him as he locked himself up in Dampe's cellar with a single lit lantern dangling from the ceiling, his case of materials, which Link set in front of himself, his only companion in the half-light.

Link wondered whether what he was doing was wise. Then he rolled his eyes as he sat down, reminding himself that if he had _ever_ been wise, he'd never have been the Hero of Time. If he'd been wise, he'd have dropped his worries about Majora and went on his way, never turning back. But he hadn't, and this was where he'd ended up.

He opened his case like a cursed treasure chest.

It had many compartments that sprung out and spread on spindly legs, and many of them were covered with cloth. Link uncovered all the less-used compartments and took out first the brimstone bowl and the grinder that came with it.

In went the hairs, the lashes, the fingernails and the skin. Link ground them down with a vengeance, until they were more or less crumbly pulp. Then came the urine, the drops of tears, and the blood that Link had collected by soaking in Dampe's shirt. To this he added Dampe's dead wife's ashes and grave-dirt, the dust from his bed, the rust from his spade, ripped corners of pictographs and shavings of things, little things that Dampe had touched, used, influenced, loved, cherished, and Link ground them as finely as he could, till his arms ached and there was something akin to swamp water in his bowl.

And this was the easy part.

He reached into his case and pulled out a collapsible tripod and an alcohol lamp. He set the bowl on top of its blue flame before picking out some chalks from one of the smaller compartments, and a battered book the size of his palm. Carefully dusting off colours that didn't belong to it, he drew a large circle, big enough to hold a man lying spread-eagled across the floor, with the blood-red chalk. With the thick stick of charcoal he drew the Triforce inside it, carefully keeping it proportional to the circle, the three edges of the black symbol connecting evenly across the curved line.

Link shuffled back to breathe and wipe the sweat off of his face with a towel he'd readied before. He couldn't allow any mistakes. He wrapped the towel over his mouth and nose and tied it so securely it pinched his skin. He had to be careful, after all.

He went through his case again, taking up a smaller mixing bowl, crushing the white chalk and charcoal into it till he got a grey that was equally proportioned between the two shades. Smearing it across his finger, he filled in the middle triangle, invoking the Fourth. The tattoo round Link's eye pulsed, making him wince. What he was doing stepped on the thinnest line between Dark magic and Shadow Magic; by not acknowledging Din, Nayru nor Furore in the spell, this Triforce was a perversion of their power.

Well, long un-dead life was a violation of their laws. The Fierce Deity, who utterly_ loved_ rebelling against his mothers, was the patriarch of Danger such as this.

Link shuddered at the grey, reversed triangle. The Fierce Deity was about chaos. He loved taking over, making it work but adding his own _twist_, his flare of mischief and violence. It was risky on his own. But it was riskier if he asked the Triad for their help.

But this was for Dampe. And Dampe deserved the best. Link took the chance.

Hastily picking up his book and three chalks, he carved in the symbol of protection, humility and success in Din's pink; hope, guidance and safety in Furore's green and... Link hesitated at Nayru. She was the bringer of life. He had the feeling that she would be particularly _pissed off_ if he so much as dared to invoke her, but not doing so would be just as bad.

In all three corners of her triangle, Link carved a single word in the lightest, brightest blue he could find: forgiveness. Hopefully she got the message.

He checked the concoction over the fire and stirred it. The moisture was almost gone.

Finally, he picked up the plane of wood he'd been saving at the very bottom of the case, bowl-like in shape, two fingers' worth in width.

Soul Masks were made, essentially, at the brink of death. Just as the soul left the body and shot for the heavens, the soul was caught within the mask, the two would merge, and the soul would carve itself into the wood and turn into a Soul mask, leaving the dead body behind.

Link wanted the body, thus the body's _life_, intact. That implied preparations that usually took at least five people to complete in the same amount of time that he intended to do so.

Link took out two jars from his mask-making kit, the final ingredients that would officially begin the ritual. Normally this was where the numerous mages were needed. One to keep carving, one to ensure the elements didn't harm the circle (the ritual was usually performed outside for certain reasons) and two to funnel the magic. Since he was the one doing the carving and the circle was safe from harm, the problem lay with the activation of the ritual, which was usually held at dusk or dawn, when the sun and moon were as close as they could get to each other.

He blew the lantern out. He scattered the contents of one jar on the east side, and the other on the west. Both held shards of normal mirrors and soaking mirrors, the kind he'd had to use extensively in the Stone Tower Temple. The east side held sunlight; the west side held moonlight. As the two lights that never met glowed together, the chalk lines of the Ritual Circle began to glow their respective colours or shades, signalling the activation of magic.

He picked up one last chalk from his arsenal, a marble chalk that only the fairies could make. It was these times that he appreciated his own stupidity and reckless quests; how else would he have won the Fairies' favour?

Picking up his book and a few pieces of paper that he'd used to take notes about Dampe's life, and Link translated what he knew, thought, and hoped was important for the ritual into arcane symbols, and doing so, Link began his writing.

The marble chalk had all the colours of life, and he wrote with it all about Dampe's life, dreams, accomplishments, disappointments, secrets, events, pleasures, greeds, passions, apathies, hopes, envies, the good and bad, happy and sad, good and wrong, the things that had mattered, still haunted, still remembered.

When Link was finished his arms shook, his fingers ached, and his whole body was stiff with tire. The space of the circle that the black Triforce didn't occupy was scattered with hieroglyphs that looked less like pictures or letters and more like shards of opal. He was almost done. The original components from Dampe's body had turned nicely into fine ash, and Link carefully scattered them across the symbols, _away_ from the Triforce. The gods had no business with the parts of a mortal; you sully them, and the ritual was off.

It was a few hours past midnight by then; he didn't have time to start over.

The mask-maker collapsed, tire sweeping his mind blank, robbing him of costly seconds to _think_, to keep the ritual going, because once started you had to continue, you _had to_, why else do you waste the Gods' time?

His hand fluttered to the side and he grasped a bunch of cloth, and he hated this mask, he hated it with a passion, its history, its use, its power, he hated everything about it but if he wanted to succeed he needed all the concentration he could get...

Link slipped on the All-Night Mask.

It was like his fatigue had been scrunched up into a ball and slammed behind a door. He could feel his exhaustion funnelling into the space behind the metaphorical wall, dammed there, niggling at the back of his head. His mind was clear and sharp as a glass knife, his fingers quick as he laid the pictograph of a healthy Dampe on the floor and placed his carving tools on one side to it, the wooden bowl on the other. He pulled on his leather working gloves that reached halfway up his forearms, to make sure nothing that was Link touched the mask, because this had to be purely Dampe, the epitome of the old man in wooden form.

He began to carve.

First he chipped at the tip of the nose, where the eyebrows jutted out farthest, the corners of his heavy chin, the beginnings of the ears. Link marked the wood with charcoal, carved, picked another instrument, carved some more, nicked a bit of wood here, a chip there, and when he wanted to get rid of the splinters and shavings he collected the ashes that covered the opal symbols and used them to brush off the fragments of the mask, giving the wood a dusky pallor. Link followed the contours of the pictograph, the wrinkle lines, the dips and twists and lilts of his eye, the ruts in the foreheads, the sagging cheeks, the chapped lips, large and crooked and bumpy nose. Each time shavings had to be brushed aside, Link did so with the ashes of Dampe's body parts, rubbing in his physical essence into the wood and animating the inanimate with his spirit.

When he ran out of ashes Link scooted over and continued to carve, rubbing the ashes into the wood, and hopefully the meaning behind the rainbow symbols into the forming face of Dampe as well.

Hours passed. Link's eyes twitched and watered, wanting to blink. He let himself cry. The towel round his mouth and nose had been in preparation for that too. He was just glad that his hands weren't stiffening. Slowly he worked his way round the circle. Collecting the ashes and the magic that they were absorbing, rubbing in the magic, the meaning, the soul into the mask. Link was aware that his supply of sun-and-moonlight was running out. The Circle seemed to flicker with impatience. Link forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily as he carved.

Dawn coloured the sky as Link completed the mask, a wonderful likeness to the man that he considered a friend and an advisor and a grandfather. He carefully bent over the circle and placed it in the grey-glowing triangle of the Fierce Deity.

Removing the towel round his mouth and nose, he prayed that the Fierce Deity was happy enough with him to make it work. He prayed to Din that she'd make it a success as he unclipped his gloves and let them fall to the ground behind him. He checked the flickers of his mirror shards hoped Furore would make sure nothing went wrong.

Finally he pulled off the mask and the tire and sleepiness and the ache slammed into him so hard it was like a crippling blow. Link forced himself to stay standing, and desperately hoped Nayru forgave him just the _one_ selfishness, and that this mask wouldn't be Dampe's undoing.

He pressed his fingers against his mouth and _blew_. The piercing shrieking whistle forced the light from all the mirror shards to ram right at the mask in the Deity's Triangle with similar power to a lightning bolt. The Circle flashed, black and red lightning crackled all around it till it imploded and there was a massive _BOOM_ that threw Link against the cellar wall, knocking his head against the stone and sending him into blissful sleep.

-,-'-,-'-,-

_The Sheik that'd given him the song and the riddle really _was_ a whole lot stricter than the one he met in the Kokiri Forest. It made the story that there was another Sheik, a friendlier Sheik in existence easier to believe, and Link found himself _wanting_ to believe it, because he wanted a friend too, so very, very desperately. _

_Friendly Sheik had listened to his worries about Navi (while said fairy was asleep). He confessed his fears that she would leave him because he was a Hylian, because he didn't deserve to have her around. He told Sheik of his days when Mido had called him a half-runt for looking like a child, a _Kokiri_, but not having a fairy at his shoulder. She'd nearly been killed so many times over the months of fighting, and maybe she'd stayed with him out of a sense of duty to a Kokiri, but now that he wasn't..._

_Sheik__ had told him to talk to her, and he did, and it worked. Navi was still his partner, his comrade, his best friend. They were going to fight together till the end, and that was the biggest relief, he could've hugged the blue fairy to death. Sheik had volunteered to pretend to be her and Link had squeezed till he heard her spine crack a little. _

_He sniggered. He wished he could've seen the look of pain on her face._

"_Link, look out!"_

"Wow_!" the Hero of Time ducked and scrambled with his sword as he hid behind his shield, avoiding the two Fire Keese that were attempting to burn his face off. He cut them to pieces and they fell, steaming in the heat of the Fire Temple._

_Link huffed and wiped his face. "This place... is really hot..."_

"_No duh, Hero of Obvious," Navi scoffed, "We're in a volcano! Of course it's hot."_

"_I know, but..." he thought of growing dizzy, of turning red as a shrimp, of turning into a shrimp, and then getting eating by things that had shrimps for breakfast, and other imaginative and unpleasant things. _

"_The tunic should be saving you from most of the heat, you'll be fine. Let's get out of here as fast as we can; we've got Gorons to save and dragons slay. You might see Sheik later too."_

_Link nodded, panted, and entered the door, enthusiastic about seeing Sheik again._

**Review replies! XD**

**_golden rhino_: Glad you find my chapters amusing. XD sorry there wasn't something as funny in this one, but I hope you still enjoyed it.**

**_V musicka_: Thanks for noticing the errors! I'll get round to fixing them as soon as I can, and yeah, it was kinda hard writing it. But this one's in a way, worse. I had no trouble writing it, (my hands were _flying_) but I have a horrible feeling it's putting too much emphasis on the mask-making. I hope you still enjoy it, and I'll just insist that it's for Link's character development. XP**

**_Airian Reesu_: You were so right. I looked at my title and thought... _nah_. So I imroved the summary and changed the title back, and I feel a lot better about it. Thank you for your words, it so helped out. XD Don't worry you'll be seeing other masks, and the classics, too.**

**_Missing Triforce_: Woot! Soo happy with the support! Imagine me pumping the air! Yeah, baby! ... Cough. Anyway, thanks for the review. I like Jim too, he's just fun to piss off. Link's more polite to him because he's more mature. XP And Jim's just a jealous git. He has his good points, he just doesn't show them. Oh, and about the male twin thing, I guess I didn't explain it well enough. It's always been Zelda. It was Zelda pretending to be a guy. But in her body she had TWO SOULS. One was her's (obviously) and the other belonged to this Sheik. It'll get into it again further in the story. Sorry for the confusion. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! IT WOULD MAKE MY DAY!**


	5. Raiders

**Hello! _OMG_ there's been so much support since the last chapter! Thank you everybody for your support!**

**I do have to admit that nothing happens action-wise (you're going to have to wait a few chapters for that) but this is full of maybe-hope for Link, and Jim-bashing! You gotta love Jim-bashing, right?**

**Review replies at the end!**

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_5 -_

Raiders

Link coughed and opened his eyes, mouth, and hands at the same time, understanding perfectly why he'd dreamed of the Fire Temple, of all things. His tongue felt like leather, teeth crusted with dirt. His eyes hurt because they were so dry. Even his face smarted a little from the blast of the spell. The tattoo throbbed especially; Link decided to dunk his head in a stream if he could find one. If not, well, he could hope for more rain if it wasn't pouring still. His hands... Link flexed his fingers as he lifted himself on his elbows, pain flaring like sparks across his skin. Red, chapped, signs of bleeding, not to mention the blisters, and there were lots of splinters sticking here and there.

Well, he had a pair of tweezers in his mask-making kit. And a needle. He'll be good and right once he got them all out. Which... was going to take a while.

There was a growl, and Link wondered where it was coming from before his stomach churned. Right, food. That would be good indeed.

But first he needed to clear up the mess. No. Wait. _The Mask_!

Link dived up and crumpled to the floor as his muscles gave a spasm of protest, racking his bones with agony. The young man rolled onto his feet to avoid using his hands, gasping and gritting his teeth as he staggered to where Dampe's mask lay.

It had colour. It had his pallor, his bags under his eyes, the freckles. All it needed was the eyes to fill its empty holes and it really would be Dampe.

The Hylian's heart soared. It had worked. The Fierce Deity had pulled through, and the goddesses had seen it fit to hear his pleas. _Yus_!

Link snatched the mask up and grinned and was about to make a mad dash for the cellar door till he heard a sound. A sound that sounded like a voice.

The voice sounded like it belonged to Jim.

Link perked his Hylian ears and looked around the cellar. There was a slither of light coming from a crack in the corner of the wall, which, Link realised, was the ground outside. The rain had washed away the dirt and had opened a fairly good-sized crack into the cellar. And there was a conversation going on that he had the feeling he shouldn't be listening to, so...

Link pressed his back against the wall and made an effort to eavesdrop.

There was no wind, and the air was clear thanks to the rain; he heard everything so clearly that he had a sudden suspicion that they were arguing.

Sheik's voice was exasperated. "You didn't ask, did you? You just _assumed_ that because I asked you of all people to come along, it meant that I was doing what you wanted."

"You didn't exactly _clear the air_ now did you," Link could almost hear the eyes rolling, "So now I have to put up with that slasher face and you, keeping that stupid... _thing_."

"It's not some stupid _thing_." Sheik spoke with the tone of someone who had argued her point to too many people on too many occasions. "It's a gift. I want it to _work_, I want to See."

"For _what_?" Jim spat, the vehemence in his tone shocking Link a little, "You're turning into someone I don't even know! I admit it, guessing the future was cool. Getting the weather right, timing things till the exact moment, it was fun. But _look_ at you now. You can't even stay awake, like... like you're _scared _like some kid, and, you have a headache all the time, right? You're not eating, you're wasting away, and for _what_?It's not like it's any use, all it's doing is making you go crazy! Just let it _go_!"

"That's the point of this trip, don't you see?" Sheik entreated, sounding so desperate that Link gritted his teeth, "I'll improve, I won't be as bothered when I See things. It'll come easier, it won't hurt as much. It'll be like it was before."

"What about your eyes?"

The silence that followed was one that churned Link's anger. He remembered Sheik's sad expression from only a few nights ago at a warm dinner, saying something about her eyes tattooing themselves red. The anger rose as he realised that her voice quavered.

"What, what about them?"

"Do you remember what colour they were?"

"Of course I do! They were... they were hazel."

"With some green." Jim agreed, and the gravel crunched as someone took a step. "I liked them. They were nice."

Sounding hurt she clarified, "But they're not anymore, is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying that I miss the old Bell! Everything's changed; why can't I want things to be normal again? It's like, being normal isn't enough for you anymore."

There was a muffled sob and a mumble from Sheik. Link spun round and furiously tried to get a clear view of the outside, to hear her better, but he could only see feet, and they were really, really close. He guessed they were hugging. She was probably crying against his chest, and when he listened again he could hear them saying things, but in whispers. The Hylian cursed and waited, scowling as he leaned against the cellar wall. He knew this was pathetic, listening in on some teenagers' love spat. But he had no intention of stopping his eavesdropping, even if the whispers implied some snogging on their part.

Link winced at the image.

"...Sorry for making you cry."

Link winced again, quelling the urge to snarl.

There was a watery chuckle and a sniff. "It's alright, I did lie to you in a way. I guess I deserved the yelling."

The mask-maker begged to differ.

"No, you have a lot going on right now. I shouldn't've added to the pile. I'm sorry."

Link rolled his eyes and performed a double-face-palm. He could see it, the lovey-dovey wonderful pink aura, the holding hands, the goofy smiles. It was sickening.

It was sickening that he resented the image, _a lot_.

"I promise, everything will be back to normal once this is over." was Sheik's reassurance, making Link flinch, "I might be able to find a way to look like I used to. And we'll be able to see things again, properly. It'll be fun, just like old times."

"...Alright," another pause, which probably meant more kissing before the kids pulled apart. "Come on, we should probably do whatever this Dampe or whatever tells us to do before slasher face wakes up."

A kind _tsk_."Don't call him that, Link's nicer than you make him out to be, really."

"As far as I'm concerned that guy's trouble. I mean, come on. He has a tattoo over his _eye_."

"You still shouldn't call him slasher face," Sheik's tone was teasing as they left, and Link heard their feet pattering away as he leaned against the wall, so very tired of his pathetic wishful thinking.

-,-'-,-'-,-

"Dampe, it's done," Link told him, placing it on the table in front of him, "Thank you for the shelter; once I'm done cleaning the mess I made I'll get those two out of your hair."

"Thissisum goo' work, cluck," Dampe rumbled with a chuckle, holding it up to get a better look at it, "It looks jes' lie'me, yers'n'yers ago."

Link grinned, turning away. "Really? I thought it's the spitting image of you in the present moment. Now, where's my pack? It's got the stuff I need for the mess, I thought I left it over there..."

"There'sum water jes'there if yer wanner clean u' so bad. Bu' leave i'ffer now, I need te' talk t'ye abou' summat."

"Nah, fairy water's best to get rid of the chalks I used," Link vaguely replied, now seriously worried about where the hell his pack full of stuff was as he paced round the room searching for it, "I was so damned sure I left it just there! Seriously, where the hell-"

"I'm sorry," a voice blurted, and Link turned around and Sheik was standing there beside Jim, looking ashamed, nervously wringing her hands, "I thought you'd want us to be ready to go, so I put them all outside. Was that... not good?"

Link gave a sigh of relief. So his pack hadn't walked off on its own, as he'd begun to think. Thank _Furore_. Stranger things have happened before, after all. "No, it's alright. Did you touch any of the masks?"

"Um, I don't think so..."

"Keep it that way. And next time, if you ever have reason to touch my things, _never_ do so without asking me." He told her firmly, startling her a little. "And, yes, Jim, I _will_ talk to her that way if I must, so stop looking so horrified. Now, double-check the place if you haven't forgotten anything. And make sure whatever surface you used is clean; if it's not, make it happen. Sheik, if you'd be so kind and get me a bottle from my pack? It's in a netted pocket on the left side, filled full with sparkling water. You'll know what I mean by looking at it. If not's it's the one beside the green potion. I think."

The two followed his orders with varying degrees of enthusiasm, the girl going outside and the boy entering a door further into the house. After they left Link turned back to the old man and gave him his full attention. "What were you saying?"

"Tha' Sheik. Isshe th'one?"

Ah. Link remembered how he'd talked to Dampe about Sheik and her significance to him in the Lost Seven Years. The Hylian man contemplated denying it before nodding, biting his lip.

Dampe gave him a very significant look. "She's a chile'."

The mask-maker groaned. "I noticed."

"Ye love 'er?"

Link couldn't help but laugh. "You were always frank, eh, Dampe?" he flexed his fingers and winced; he'd forgotten about the splinters in his hands. Ugh. Tired, so very tired, the young man collapsed in a chair and slumped back, sighing.

"...I don't know."

Dampe frowned. "Eh?"

"I don't know if I love her," Link elaborated, picking at the splinters in his hands. "It's been so long since I last saw her, and back then we were the same age, in a sort-of-but-not-really way. I know I hardly stand a chance; I don't think she'll even _consider_ me that way. I'm seven years older than her, you know, _seven years_."

Dampe made a sympathetic sound. Link chuckled mirthlessly. "Either way, it doesn't matter. She has her Jimmy-boy, I have my memories. She has her own life, and I've been living mine without her just fine, even if I have missed her. In a way, it's appropriate; I'm helping her how I can, like she did for me. I... can live with that."

"Bu' ye ain't _appy_ abou'it," Dampe confirmed, making the other snort.

"Hardly." The blond winced as he pushed a sliver of wood deeper into his skin, sarcasm flaring resentfully in his words. "_Happy_ is hard to come by nowadays, now that I've got all the magic I could want, the nameless fame, not to mention a few Princesses worth marrying if I asked nice enough. Hell, the paranoia does wonders to my happiness too, what with..." Link stopped, blinked, and laughed. "Oh my God, I just realised Jimmy-boy could be listening in _right now_. If you are, you must be so confused, you poor little bastard."

Dampe looked at the door Jim had gone through to clean things up, and when Link didn't move to check whether the boy was really there or not, he shrugged and asked, "Ye gonna essplain to 'em? T_'her_?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Why na?"

"Why _bother_?" Link shrugged back, standing and beginning to work on the other hand, "Like I said, she has a life now. Without me, and with Jimmy-boy, though I don't know what she sees in him. I can handle it. It's not like I know her anyway..."

"Yet ye search fer'er fer years. Don't tha, _mean_ summat to ye?"

"Of course it does!" he exclaimed, "But this isn't what I expected, this, gods, I've been coming here for how many years, and she was right under my nose. I gave up looking for her and here she is. I want to know her better, I want to help her, but I just, I just _can't_."

"Ye shid try, me'boy," Dampe spoke solemnly, "Afore time-"

Sheik burst in and held the bottle of fairy water out. "I'm sorry I took so long," she said, handing him the bottle, "It was so pretty that I couldn't help staring..."

Her red eyes were red-rimmed, and her bags were more prominent, Link noticed. He wondered whether the sight of the fairy water had triggered some of her visions. He decided to mention it later as he thanked her and looked for a mop. "You should take a nap while you're waiting, and breakfast if you haven't had it yet," he also suggested, "You look like you need both."

"We've already had breakfast. As for sleep, I won't bother," Sheik shook her head and her smile wavered. "I'll just get spooked by looking at my eyelids."

"Alright," Link sighed as he shook the bottle, "Just, take it easy. Go find Jim and get him to comfort you; I've got my own mess to clean up now."

And as Link's gaze lingered on her, Dampe saw his worry, longing and fondness for the tired child, and the old man hoped the once-Hero would become more forthright about his emotions in relation to this girl. After all, if this much effort could be put into a mask for a dead man, what kind of power could he unleash for this young rose?

-,-'-,-'-,-

They left Alyssa with Dampe, since she couldn't go on up the cliff that could be traversed only by a ladder. Link led the way, allowing Sheik and Jim to hold hands and chat and help each other move forwards as much as they liked, keeping his attention out for the Garo and the rock-monsters. This part of the trek had been a nightmare the last time he'd come round, which was about twelve years ago. Dampe's side of the canyon he knew like the back of his hand; Link had visited the grave-keeper almost once every year, even if the stay itself had been under two days each time.

This side... he actually had to look at the map to make sure he knew where the hell he was.

The rain from last night seemed to have put off the monsters from coming out as well, which was a relief in itself. It irked him somewhat that they had to rest more than he thought necessary; Jim and Sheik seemed to be city-children through and through, and walking long distances virtually constantly uphill seemed to tax them beyond their imaginations.

Sheik didn't complain; Jim was making enough of a fuss to fill her share.

As they ate their midday meal Link kept a look out for the Garo, bow strung and arrow in hand. Jim accused him of being paranoid, but he ignored the teen's jibes. Paranoia had kept him alive. And the Garo were bastards at assassinations.

But they didn't attack, which was encouraging. Link let himself breathe easier as he chewed on some dried apple flakes. They stood from their boulders, shouldered their packs, and headed out once more.

Four hours since they left Dampe's hut, they reached the river, which had spilled over and turned the place into a sludge-like plane. The patches of grass that'd survived were now being completely drowned. Link put down his bag on dry ground and strung his bow again, pointing two arrows at the river as he approached.

The territorial octoroks burst out of the water, glaring. Link shot them dead before they could so much as tense up for an attack. The corpses roared down the river with the current until they stopped short because of the lines tying the arrows to Link's arm.

"Jim, want to help me pull these guys up?"

The teenager frowned, put his bag down, and did as he was told with some trepidation. "Aren't these guys monsters?"

They hauled the creatures over the bank and Link happily began to sever the legs from the torso. Grinning, he agreed. "Yep. They're monsters, and they make awesome steaks."

Jim's face twisted in disgust as he stumbled away. "That's _sick_!"

"That's survival." Link deadpanned as he pulled some paper out of his bag. "Now wrap the legs up in this. Sheik, before we cross this river, I want to show you something."

"Me?" she repeated, seeming surprised.

He nodded. "Bring out the mask I gave you. I'll show you how to use it."

"Um..." she glanced nervously at Jim before jogging towards them, clearly not having told Jim about the Mask of Truth. Ah. Link had thought that _finding_ the mask had triggered the fight between the two. Well.

"Did I do something wrong?" Link inquired quietly as they walked away from a sullen Jim, to seem ignorant about their argument.

"Oh, um, nothing, it's just..." she bit her lip as she pulled the mask out of her pack and shook her head, tiredly. "I'll tell you later."

"Alright," he agreed, "Now..."

He showed her the Gossip Stone that sat a little submerged in the overflowing river, and how it reacted to the presence of the mask. For Sheik it didn't just tell her an old rumour; it told her the time, her location, and dangers nearby.

"_Beware the Raiders. The Shadows are falling_."

Sheik straightened from her bent position and took off the mask, giving Link a confused expression. "What does that mean?"

Link grinned and waved it off, hiding his unease. Half-sentient things giving warning was _never_ good, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Probably thieves, and that sunset's getting closer. There's a rope-bridge further up. Want to see an old thieves' cave? I think Jim might find it interesting."

"I'll ask him," she smiled, running back to her partner, helping him wrap the octorok legs before taking his hand and pulling him to where Link was. There was a knowing look to him that made the once-Hero suspect that the boy really had heard at least part of his conversation with Dampe, discussing his connections and feelings towards Sheik.

The mutual dislike, it seemed, would never be resolved.

-,-'-,-'-,-

After winning their approval for showing them Sakon's cave, they climbed over the edge of the cliff with the promise of showing them something even cooler.

"Welcome," Link bowed and threw his arm out to indicate the whole place, "To the ruins of the Ikana village and palace. I am horrified to note, however," he added as he stared round at the tents, the camp fires, the _garbage_ that littered the place, and the people that were blatantly staring at them with a hostile glint, "That we're surrounded."

Jim stepped in front of Sheik and lifted his fists at the people that looked distinctly like bandits.

Link peered at the faces and didn't like what he saw. He even liked the look of the tents even less, and the signs here and there that these men had been in the vicinity a while. There were picks and axes, hammers and brushes, boots and spare shirts hanging from washing lines, bones of leftover meals strewn by a group of thug-like men. He saw one of them wearing what looked like a Garo's coat.

He approached them with a glare and unsheathed his sword, making one of the two behind him gasp. The Fairy Blade really was a beautiful thing, the green-glazed metal gilded with black gold in patterns of belladonnas. The hilt was white wood, shaped and bent like a trunk of an ancient tree.

Link dangled it by his side as he used his other hand to dump his pack on the ground. He advanced at a reasonable pace, giving them ample warning of his intentions. "Who are you, and what the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"We could ask the same to you, stranger." One of them stood, barrel-chested, bearded and very, very large in stature.

"Hi. I'm Link." He smiled with sharp dislike, "I have friends living here. I came to visit. Somehow I don't think we share mutual acquaintances. Now _get out_. "

The barrel-chested man crossed his arms imperiously. "You mean Miss Pamela?"

"No, I don't mean... wait..." Link's anger was replaced by confusion. "Did you just say Pamela? Like, the girl with the father who...?"

"So we do share mutual acquaintances then, funny that. _Boss_!" the giant man hollered before rumbling away, sitting with his comrades to continue drinking whatever they were drinking.

Link looked towards the largest tent that the giant man had bellowed at.

His jaw dropped.

A young, beautiful, _voluptuous_ woman stepped out into the sunlight, wearing a man's singlet and shirt that was cinched in at her lovely waist, worker's shorts (which she'd cut even _shorter_,) that bared her strong and gorgeous legs, striding out in hiking boots, a loose and heavily armed belt hanging from her hips. Her hair, tied at the back of her head, was long and frazzled but elegant, and her round but sharp face was determined as she marched towards him.

She stopped barely a pace away, and glared.

Link swallowed dry spit and coughed, "Pamela. You've... you've grown."

She stood in front of him, looked at his face, his sword, and his companions. "How do you know my name?"

Link sighed. This was what he got for not visiting at all, he supposed. "We were friends, years ago. You know, the boy in the green tunic, barged into your house, healed your dad from his curse, you told me not to tell him because he might experiment on himself again? Your whole house was surrounded by gibdo. Ring any bells?"

She looked at him a little closer, invading his personal space and giving him a good view at her cleavage. She grinned at him, probably fully aware of how attractive she was. "I remember you. What did you do to your face?"

"Just something to keep off Bad Things."

She cocked an eyebrow as she pulled back. "Does it work?"

"Not really, no. That's kind of why I'm here."

She snorted. "It seems to me that you _are_ made of Bad Things, as you call it. Now, I'm grateful for what you did back then, but what are you doing threatening my workers?"

Link got back to the situation at hand and sputtered. "Me? What are _you_ doing? This is-!"

"My property." She sniffed. "And my archaeological site."

Link paused. "...What?"

"Here's the deed, from the Deku family I bought it from, apparently they had it for centuries, and this is my digging licence." She handed him some papers and he stared at them blankly. The Deku deed he sort of recognised from years and years ago, but that was about it. "Those men over there, are my workers. Speaking of, who're those little rascals over there?"

"Just some friends," Link muttered before handing her papers back, "I was here for... never mind that, I still don't get what you're doing here! This place isn't worth anything."

"Didn't you know?" She grinned, almost nastily, "The people of Ikana were a very developed civilisation. Philosophy, technology, magic... and _wealth_."

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**Link is not going to be happy. And I'll have you know that the physical excitement begins next chapter! There will be piles of dead bodies, some heart-to-heart talk, and some more angsty torture for Link's poor heart. XP Bwahaha.**

**There was actually a lot of questions concerning the Goddesses so I shall explain!**

**On the point that Nayru is the bringer of Life, I consider her to be the patron goddess of Law and childbirth. She laid down the law that ALLOWED the life Furore SHAPED to come along, so yeah, bringer of Life. And I just like the idea of Furore being the goddess of growth and CHILDHOOD. Also, Link put in humility in Din's triangle because he wanted to tell her "No, I'm not being an upstart by controlling life. No, I'm not power-crazy, I'm just a humble person doing a rather unusaul ritual. Please don't hurt me."**

**So... yeah. XD**

**Review replies!**

**_Hatsusen_: I'll be getting into the Mad God in like... chapter 17. He's Ganondorf's patron God. OF EVIL. I think they end up merging by the Twilight Saga. That's where I got the idea from, anyway. Lol. As for my reasoning for Nayru being the bringer of life... I had a reason. I did. Just let... oh yeah, um, I decided that since Nayru laid down the Law, she created Life. The foundations of Biology, so to speak. Then Furore shaped Biology, evolution. And I like the idea that Furore is like a 'guide' goddess, who helps you grow up. It's a personal bias. XD**

**_goldenrhino_: The Fierce Deity will make a personal appearence later on, but his origins won't be fully explained till like chapter 17. Sorry. XD Thanks about Dampe, he was really, really hard to write. **

**_Airian Reesu_: Thanks for the compliment. Link needed a father-figure after the Deku tree, and who better than a grave-keeper! XD And it's good to know that the ritual wasn't considered creepy. As for the Fierce Deity, he'll be coming in later.**

**_Li_: Ooh, that sucks! I hope you got to read it in the end!**

**_Ugolino_: Awesome, yay! Yeah, considering the mask-making is borderline dark magic, I guess it was appropriate that it's kinda creepy. But then again, I decided that AFTER I wrote the whole chater, lol.**

**_Hylian_: Thank you so much for taking the time to review pretty much all of the chapters! You so made my day!**

**_Kiara victory Tatsu_: The mask came out fine! XD Yay for Link and Dampe! I hope you liked this too!**

**_V musicka_: Oh my god so much praise! Thank you so much! As for him wanting to learn this, it's going to be ages till that's delved in, so I'm just going to tell you. XP He learnt it from the Mask-maker from MM. He didn't want to learn at first but he wasn't sure Majora was purged, so he thought, if he leanrt _how_ to make the masks, then he might know how to unmake them. The Maskmaker knew how to make it because he was part of a darkmagic cult. LOL. I hope you keep enjoying this; see you next chapter!**

**_Missing Triforce_: I want the All-night mask too. T-T. That's not a bad theory, actually, the Link dying in the lost woods thing. And no problem! I'll answer all questions you ask on review pages!**

**Thanks guys! Review again, kay?**


	6. Reason

**Guess what? XD I've finished writing this whole story! OMG! (okay, yeah, I've got another one or two pages, but still.) Now all i have to do is update on a regular basis ! Oh man, this is totally exciting for me. X3**

**Anyway, this chapter is filled with Link getting some emotional pain, more insight on why he became a mask-maker, and build up for more action! And emotional pain, TO BE HONEST. **

**But there're cute moments that you'll love, I'm sure. Hopefully. -_-;**

**As per usual, review-replies at the bottom!**

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_**6**_ - Reason

They got a tour, despite Link's misgivings. Tents full of maps and diagrams, supplies, clothing and laundry, beddings, equipment for digging, tools for examination, and what disgusted Link and excited Jim most, was the treasures. Gold cutlery, delicate statues, copper jewellery inlaid with stones of all colours, hell, there were bits of _walls_ dumped on the ground, brushes strewn on top of them to wipe away the dust and grime of centuries.

"The shadows are falling indeed," Link muttered to himself, before turning on Pamela, who was making sure the young guests didn't try to take anything. "What are you doing this for?"

Pamela shrugged her sinuous shoulders. "I'm following in my father's footsteps."

Link barked in mirthless laughter. "Your father wanted to find out how to reverse the Gibdo's curse. You're not even _pretending_ to do that; you're just desecrating a _Sacred place_."

"Well isn't that rich, coming from you," she rolled her eyes, sauntering over to where the man was gritting his teeth, trailing her fingertips down his chest, "If the rumours are correct, you've repeatedly gone through numerous temples, ransacked their treasure chests, stolen weapons from them, and, oh, destroyed parts of them as well. And palaces. And cities."

Link hissed as he backed away, wincing at the truth in her barbed words.

"You're dishonouring the dead, Pamela," he strangled out, making her snarl, "What I've done to all the places I've visited is _nothing_ compared to what you're doing now."

"The dead ruined my _life_."

"Your dad's _obsession_ with the dead ruined your life," Link corrected heatedly, "And if this is your twisted idea of revenge, I'm willing to cut you down, Pamela, this is my-"

The Hylian bit his lip. His sanity would forever be in question if he called the dead his friends.

"Your _what_?" Pamela demanded, crossing her arms.

Link cursed his lack of witticism and said, "My territory."

"Your _territory_?" Pamela repeated with cruel amusement, throwing her head back to laugh, "Oh how incredibly macho of you. Hey, you two," she added, addressing Sheik and Jim, "You can play with the treasure, just don't damage them. I need to pay my men, after all."

"You've got some amazing stuff here," Jim professed, running his hands over a lapis-lazuli necklace, holding it out to the red-eyed girl. "Here, Bell, you'll look great in this."

Sheik blushed and stammered he placed it round her neck. Disgust tore Link's insides.

The Hylian calmed his feelings enough to face Pamela again, with a more civil tone. "Look. I want nothing to do with this. I just want to get inside the Castle, check some stuff, and then get the hell out. Let me in, and I won't try stopping your raiding. Fair enough?"

She broodingly thrust her shapely hips to the side, pouting. "You know what? No."

Link snarled. "_What_?"

"We've been trying to get into the Castle itself for a few days now, but the core of the walls are reinforced with this blue material that can't be penetrated, no matter what we do to it. Climbing isn't an option. The whole place is invader proof. Even the famous Garo couldn't get in, after all. Unless you have a means of entry...?"

Link noticed her very, _very_ suggestive tone, but the niggling lack of the Garo sent a cold chill down his spine. "How do you know about the Garo? They're meant to be a myth."

"They attacked us. My men took care of them."

"They... they attacked you."

Pamela nodded in clarification smiling. "Yes."

"And you defeated them."

"Yep."

Nausea churned his guts. He himself had killed a few Garo, but that was before he fully understood them, he'd even gone to the lengths of joining their ranks to have them receive his penance. He had their mark on his collarbone. Link forced himself to ask, "How?"

She shrugged. "Shot some bombs at them; we had a few left from the excavation."

They must have attacked more than once for the raiders to be so prepared. But long distance meant something more chilling to Link than the coldness of the mass-murder. "Did you hear their last words?"

She scoffed and laughed. "What are you, a Garo activist? They were scum of the earth, assassins for hire and bandits at best. Let the Mad God hear their last words; my men and I don't have the time or patience for their ritualistic bullshit."

Something inside him, like a string reaching its limit, _snapped_.

In front of him he lost sight of the young frightened girl that had cared for her father deeply and fiercely, protecting him from everything that dared to harm him. In front of him now was a bitter young woman that hated whatever stood in her way, embittered by a childhood filled with the dead. Link had seen a kindred spirit in her, all those years ago.

Not anymore. "Where are the bodies."

"Just ask my men and they'll point the way, mister activist." She probably thought that she was being good-natured, that he was being too uptight and would eventually see it her way.

"Why don't you tell those two all about your exploits while I'm at it," Link simpered, barely stopping the veil of red that threatened to descend on his mind, "I might take a while."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link left the tent and marched straight for his pack, which was gaining some attention because of the masks that peered out of pockets and openings like curious children. He ignored them as he got his case for making masks and firmly closed the bag. He approached the biggest man he could see and glowered at him. "Where are the Garo?"

The man seemed somewhat perplexed at Link's attitude before pointing towards the top of the village, where Link could see the after-effects of a one-sided battle.

"Thanks. Oh, and spread the word that if anyone so much as goes within a three foot radius of my bags, they're going to get their feet cut off. Thanks."

Link didn't wait for the man to reply before he began to march up the sloping road to the top of the rocky hill, passing decrepit houses, dry remains of gardens, and bones of unidentified creatures. He remembered a town that had looked like this, in years that had never come, under a despotic rule that had never happened. But that Castle Town had had redeads, fires burning, moss growing. It had been a place of agony, but it had held a soul to feel that agony, a soul that had yearned for hope. Here there was nothing, no soul, no spirit, no hope. All it had was its legacy, and even that was being stripped from it, layer by precious layer.

Link faced the pile of arrowed and scorched corpses, and seeing the dust on their bodies, the flies and insects crawling through their clothes and flesh, he didn't bother looking for a survivor. Link was sad to admit that he was too used to the stench to even gag.

He knelt on the ground and opened the case, the compartments dutifully unfurling with its brimming contents. He reached for a scratched bottle with a battered cork, thick yellow liquid swirling inside like amber jelly. "I'm sorry I can't make a mask for you all," Link told the pile of corpses as he dropped a large glob of the Cyprus sap onto the dusty ground, "And I'm sorry I couldn't hear your final words, not even a single one."

"What are you doing?"

Link spun round, heart in his mouth. Sheik guiltily flinched, and apologised for startling him. The Hylian calmed at her worried gaze, and gave a sad smile. "I'm giving them a send off."

"Oh," she said, cautiously taking a step towards him. Link turned back to his work without objecting to her presence, so she came even closer and peered over his shoulder. He could feel her warmth and presence like a blanket. "What's that?"

"Sap of the Cyprus tree, mixed with some crushed bark of the Weeping Willow; both trees are symbolically tied with mourning." He dipped his fingers into the glob on the ground and spread it into an even disk, stretching three straight lines from the bottom. Then with the dust he cut the circle in half with a squiggly horizontal line. "This is the mark of the Garo. The three lines mark their disciplines of silence, loyalty, and brutality, and the curving line symbolizes a serpent. You should take a step back, the wind's changing, and the smell's only going to get worse."

"But-"

Link shushed her. "The Garo like the quiet," he told her enigmatically, unhooking one of the three small crystals that dangled from his ear. It was clear except for its red centre, and it flashed in his hand. _I grant you Din's Fire to light your way,_ was his thoughts as his hand flared with a fireball and he threw it into the pile of dead bodies.

"Get back!" he ordered her, grabbing his kit and quickly backpedalling away. The globe of red fire bloomed bigger and bigger till it gathered every single Garo it could find and _burst_, roaring into scorching flame, belching out black smoke, eating up the flesh and rock and clothes and bones that'd had the fortune of being in its belly.

Sheik gawped at the flame's awesome power, before turning on Link. "What, what... what?"

"It's said this crystal holds a lick of Din's Fire," Link explained as he put the tiny object, no bigger than a fingernail, back into his ear, "I used it to build the fire at the camp."

"But this is _huge_, it's insane, it's, it's..."

"The crystal _is_ powerful. That's why it's so easy to make this kind of thing, but it's so hard to make a tiny spark for a simple campfire." He gave a satisfied smile and, finding a convenient boulder, sat on it to watch the funeral pyre. "The Garo sure did enjoy their flashy endings."

Sheik collapsed on another boulder, resting her head against her knees. Link watched the flame dance, sending the souls of the last of the Garo to their rest. Or so he hoped.

"So," Link started, finding a stick on the ground, picking it up and throwing it in, "What was Jim's expression for? When I mentioned the Mask of Truth, that is."

She forced her head away from her knees and gave a weary groan. "He, doesn't like my gift. He thinks it's creepy. So when I invited him to come with us, 'for my gift', he thought I was getting rid of it. The fact that you'd given me the mask, just, added to it... I guess..."

She looked so sad. Link sighed and leaned his chin against his hand, propping his elbow on his knee as he peered at her. "Why doesn't he like it? Your Sight, I mean."

"Look at me," she moaned, rubbing her face, "Tired, paranoid, making excuses all the time,"

"Sounds like me," Link honestly commented, making her laugh.

"You don't have red eyes."

He shrugged. "They're beautiful."

There was a startled pause between them, and Sheik blushed again. Link awkwardly turned away, inwardly cursing. He hadn't meant to say that. Well, at least, not that _directly_...

"Nobody's said that before."

Link perked up, confusedly meeting her gaze. "Eh?"

She was rubbing her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Nobody's ever said that, these eyes, that they're... beautiful."

She stuttered, as if the word was too fancy for her. Link couldn't help but frown. "Why not?"

"They weren't always red," she explained, not understanding that that wasn't what Link meant, "They were hazel, with green. They changed right before the nightmares began. "

"That's not what I..." Link couldn't quite get himself to repeat what he'd said about her eyes either, so he coughed. "Never mind."

"You and Jim don't get along, do you."

Link couldn't help but bark with mirth at the comment, as well as the sudden topic change. Sheik gave him a disapproving frown as he said, "I try. I love having cranky hiking buddies."

The girl sighed, mumbling an apology. Link snorted.

"I don't see why you have to apologise for him. Everybody's got an opinion of their own."

"It's not you that he hates," she bemoaned, pillowing her head against her arms and she bent over her knees, "He hates the idea that I'm not normal anymore."

Link really frowned at that. "What?"

She sighed, her whole body deflating. There was a pause long enough for him to wonder whether she'd fallen asleep, but she mumbled something into her arms. "Sorry, what?"

She turned her head in his direction, struggling to keep her eyes open. "I've always loved fairytales, legends, about heroes and things. And Jim... he's your average Hero. He helps old people across the street, he takes the effort to pick up litter from the park, loves dogs, works hard, he's going to inherit the bombshop, you know, I guess that's where he got the Bomber's Club name, or whatever you were talking about. He never told me about that," she chuckled, and Link laughed a little uneasily next to her. She sighed, smiling fondly at the memories. "I was bullied as a kid, and, well, he saved me. I've been with him since."

Link inwardly recoiled from the words, pain biting straight through his gut.

Obliviously, she continued on, "He's a nice guy, really. It's just, ever since my eyes turned red, I... I never had much friends, when they saw me, how I am now, they got scared. They're worried too, but they're scared. Like it's a disease. Jim knows it's not, and even if it was he still doesn't care. It's just... I'm not _normal_ anymore. And, I almost _love_ it. It terrifies me but it's... it's like I'm that much closer to the fairytales and the myths I've loved for as long as I can remember. And, I think... I think he thinks I won't love him anymore."

Link gripped the boulder hard, the pain that lanced through his chest so harsh it was _physical_.

Now she just sounded annoyed. "He's just frustrated, I guess, and you're his only outlet. So, I'm sorry, Link, for causing you so much trouble."

"It's..." Link swallowed dry spit, and lied. "It's fine. He makes you happy, right?"

She nodded and smiled, briefly. "Yeah."

"Then I've got nothing to complain about." Link told mostly to himself, though he directed his words flippantly towards her.

"Um, I'm sorry that I blurted all that on to you," she apologised tiredly, taking a hissing breath of a held-back yawn, "I think that's the first time I've laid that out to another person."

"I just have that kind of face." Link cleared his throat and began to stand as he said, "Anyway, as soon as we get what we need, we're turning tail out of this place, alright? The dead have a nasty bite; with these numbers, and the likelihood that this is only a fragment of the deceased, we'll probably get a swarm of angry ghosts. The last thing we need is to get involved."

She closed her eyes, shuddered, and opened them again. She started to say something but Link cut her off first. "We should head back. And you need some proper rest."

"Um," she said, pushing herself up from her knees, "Can I, since I blurted my life story to you, ask you something?"

"Uh... sure..." Link blinked uncertain as to what sort of mess he was getting into now.

She waved at the roaring funeral pyre that was beginning to die down. It only just occurred to him that she was doing fine despite the smell of burning flesh, but that was pushed from his mind as he saw just how embarrassed she was with her question, "Why are you so passionate about... this?"

Link chuckled. "Long story short, I didn't have a lot of self-worth before I got into this job."

"Um..." she rubbed her eyes, looking confused.

"I was good at breaking things." He elaborated, watching the roaring flames, "Like I said a while ago, mercenary for hire. I couldn't make things, I couldn't develop ideas, I couldn't... create. Just destroy. Then I met a crazy man who sold crazy masks, and there was one particular one that... caught my interest, you could say," he winced at the biggest euphemism so far in his life, "So I planned to break it."

She looked utterly confused. "What?"

"You have no idea how _evil_ that thing was, it was best it ceased to exist. The guy that owned it stopped me by making me his apprentice. And I royally _sucked_. Most of the scars on my hands are from making my first masks. They were _terrible_. Furore knows I wanted to quit."

"Why didn't you?"

"He said I could break that mask once I finished my apprenticeship; what did I have to lose?"

She managed to smile. "That's really mature."

"I'm well aware." Link deadpanned, making her laugh. It was nice seeing her wonderful smile, for the first time in many, many years. "I got better at mask-making, I inherited the business, and I finally put the mask away. But there are only so many carnivals around, so the only way for us to make enough money to stay in business was to make death masks."

She screwed her face. "What's a death mask?"

"Some places put plaster on the face of the deceased, get a mould, and make death masks from the mould for the family to keep, or to use to create a bust. Those upper body sculptures, you know? The people who can't afford that sort of thing hire people like us. Sometimes the death isn't pretty. Other times there might not even be a body, because they were lost at sea, or buried in a landslide. So we make masks that resemble the deceased, so the family can keep it in remembrance, or bury them in place of the missing bodies. Even the simplest slate with eyeholes and a few lines made people happy. I was making something. And people were happy. That... had never happened before."

She watched him stare at the fire, a smile perking up on his face. "The dead gave me a calling, I suppose. And there're only so many ways that you can say thanks to a corpse."

Link stood and packed away his things before turning back with a confused expression. "I thought Pamela was telling you two about her findings. Where _is_ Jimmy anyway?"

Her smile was wan as he offered her his hand. "I told them I was tired, and I was going to try to sleep, but I saw you walking this way. If he asks, I was sleepwalking."

She held his hand and stood. His large paws easily enveloped hers. By gods they were so cold, and she looked so tired. Link would've given anything to hold her and tell her it was all going to be alright. "When you said that I was the first to compliment your eyes, does that include Jim?"

She scoffed, swaying on her feet. "He doesn't like them, remember?"

"Well then." Even if his heart felt like it'd been stomped on, a little bit of it inflated with a sense of victory. After all these years, he was still the first. "They really _are_ beautiful."

But that soon fled his mind when her knees buckled and she fell like a stone, oily sweat beading her forehead, her eyes rimmed with bruises of insomnia.

-,-'-,-'-,-

"What the hell was she doing up _there_?" Jim demanded from the other side of the cot, "She said she was going to sleep!"

"It looked like she was sleepwalking," Link muttered as he laid a shivering Sheik onto the mattress that Pamela had provided, but before he could put her head to rest she bucked awake, punching Link right in the temple and giving a gasping, yelling wail that sounded completely and utterly _scared_.

"Bell!" Jim surged forward to try and hold her, "Calm down, it's okay, it's just a-"

"_Don't touch me_!" She shrieked, shoving him away, eyes wild.

Link fought back his dizziness as his head pounded. Clutching his abused head, he whispered in a coaxing tone, "We're not monsters, Sheik, we're your friends."

She shook her head frantically. "Never! _Never_!"

"Bell it's me! Jim! Look, you're awake, you're with me, now, see?" the young man looked shaken in his own way; Sheik had never pushed him away, the dreams had never invaded reality this far. "You're _safe_."

She looked at them, really _looked_ at them, and her face crumpled and she started bawling her eyes out, a hysterical child completely succumbing to her nightmares. Jim hastily held her round the shoulders and she cried against his chest, her wails loud and hurt. "See?" he demanded, gently holding her shoulders, "She can't handle this power, she doesn't need it. Can't you get rid of it!"

"I'm just a mask-maker with a violent streak, Jimmy," Link groaned, kneading his forehead with the tips of his fingers, "I don't have that kind of power."

"Then what good are _you_?" he spat, holding his girlfriend tightly against his torso as if Link was the monster that was hurting her, "What's the point of you, _chaperone_?"

"The point of me, at this point, is to help my friend's sister as best I can."

"Screw you! I know what you are, I heard you!" he snarled, shifting his body enough to move himself slightly between Link and Sheik.

Link decided not to be goaded before standing to leave the tent. "Calm her down as much as you can. I'm going to bring some tea."

Outside, Link felt like punching something. He could fight demons, monsters, madmen and possessed objects. But why not dreams? What good was he, just like Jim said, if he couldn't protect one of the few people he cared about? And he was getting tea? _Tea_?

Link brutally kicked a large rock and sent it flying. The rock landed near his pack, where some of Pamela's men were loitering, tempted by Link's warning to look at any one of his masks.

The urge to pummel something to death became an urge to pummel himself and scream in frustration. Link chased them away with his murderous glare as he searched for a hated mask.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Sheik was rocking back and forth with the heels of her palms pressed firmly against her eyes, flinching whenever Jim touched her. She was constantly muttering something under her breath, and it sounded like some math equations.

"Sheik, I brought tea, if you want it," Link told her gently, but she shook her head.

"I want something stronger. Like coffee. Lots of coffee. I need to stay awake, I need to stay awake, I don't want to dream any of it anymore, I'm so scared so scared..."

He had no choice, then. Link sat in front of her and tapped her shoulder, asking her softly to look at him. When she did, he was holding a black bundle in his hand.

"You know the Mask of Truth, how it let you hear the Gossip Stone? There are other masks like that, with powers unique to it. This is called the All-night Mask; it drives away sleep."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jim moved to snatch the mask from Link's hands and Link pushed him roughly away, sending him crashing against the ground.

"I'm not _finished_!" the Hylian snarled, turning his angry gaze on Sheik, looking her right in the eyes, "Unlike the Mask of Truth, this thing is cursed. It was created to be a torture device, to rob prisoners of sleep and break their minds for interrogation. Do you understand me? By wearing this you're cursing yourself, you're risking going _insane_. It will eat away at you until you're _dead_, if you don't remove it when you absolutely need to. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "I'll be careful. Just please, I don't want to go back, I don't want to dream."

Link bit his lip and handed it to her. With shaking hands she pulled it over her head, the fishnet mesh ruining her hair, the red-rimmed eyes of the mask reinforcing her look of anguish. She gasped, and her strength left her shoulders. "Thank Four."

She looked even worse in the Mask. It amplified her look of exhaustion, it made her look like a ghost from a nightmare. It made you want to leave her alone, never go near her, just allow her to sit in her corner and stare. Even loyal little Jim couldn't get near her.

Link hated himself. "Now. I'm cooking that octorok, so I hope you're not allergic to it. Sheik, I'm sorry to leave you alone, but once we've eaten Jim and I are going to have to sleep."

Jim's jaw dropped in his disbelief. "What? It's the middle of the day!"

"I'm going to go tell Pamela you're tired and I didn't get much sleep last night, which is true. We're going to need it; we're breaking into the Ikana Castle. Tonight."

* * *

**Hahahaaaa! Build up and nothing much else! Lol. Sorry, the next chapter's kinda like that too, but there's Jim bashing. And a flashback into the past, which is cute. I hope. ;)**

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_V musicka_: In mind yeah, maybe, though I hadn't thought about it that much. XD The Dig sight is pretty much right in front of Pamela's house. Just pretend that there was like a fully abandoned village and catacombs and stuff, please. LOL. As for the age difference, it is like, bottomless fuel for frustrations and tension. XD LOVE IT. Yep, as you saw, the raiders were Pamela and co, but there're no real _villain_ in this story, since mostly it deals with Link, his frustration, and his past. Hope you enjoyed!**

**_K-shee_: Yeah, Link! Suffer! (high-five back). XD You're right, I COULD'VE made Pamela more of a temptation than she really is, but that honestly hadn't occured to me. Oops XP. Nah, Link's no virgin, and he's had a few girlfriends. But they found his appetite scary and his masks scream worthy. And he just didn't like them too much. LOL. I hope you liked the somewhat tiny-ass Link/Sheik development, but it gets better! ...I think. Well, there's the Link/Jim conflict later?**

**_goldenrhino_: It's Furore because when I first started out I didn't know it was FArore. I only have the Jap version, so I didn't know the right name. When I heard I was mistaken, I couldn't be stuffed changing it, I couldn't stand the red squiggly spell-mistake line when I spelled Nayru, so I didn't want to add Farore to the list. Also, Din means 'loud noise'. So does 'Furore'. I thought the coincidence was funny so I kept it that way. That... was a very long explanation for something so silly. Sorry about that. XD**

**_Erendan_: I hope you got to see this, and I look forward to another review!**

**_Raeya Kimani_: YAAAYAYAYYYAAAY! XD Go the mask-making ritual! Woot! Thank you so much for your praise, and I hope you keep enjoying and reviewing!**

**_Missing Triforce_: I hope you liked this! Sorry to say nobody dies in this, though they get very, very close. Actually, wait, some people DO die. Only they're already dead. Ah, well, you'll understand later. Only Link and Zelda remembered the Lost Seven Years; Dampe of Termina knows about it because he saved Link's life and while the young hero was reovering Link talked about it to him. I hope to see you review! XD Thanks so much for your praise.**

**So, yeah... reviews? I'm happy to answer questions and stuff. :3 Even argue my point if you think some stuff doesn't make sense. **

**REVIEW PLEASE! \(T0T)/**


	7. Reaction

**Hello, there! OMG SO MANY REVIEWS! So excited! XD**

**So, in this chapter there is, memories, frustrations, and a massive army readying to fight. Wait, an army? Where did THAT come from? **

**You will see. ;D**

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_7 _

- Reaction

_Link sat on top of Death Mountain, now fully aware of _why_ the damned place was called thus. He wished there was water somewhere really nearby, but there was no stream on this virtually barren mountain, and even if there was Link had the feeling it would be a scorching river of death. Death River of Death Mountain. Heh._

"_Heeeeeeeeeello,"_

_Link didn't look up, so sure he was as high as anyone could possibly get, earning a few laughs from Sheik at his own expense. Friendly Sheik dropped down next to him from the cliff Link had been leaning against, handing him a water-skin. "You alright?"_

_He was irritated that she'd made him look so stupid, but the heat and thirst won out. Link gratefully chugged the water down, coughing as it went down the wrong pipe. _

_Sheik seemed to smile. "That's a no, huh?"_

"_You have no idea how _hot _it is," Link coughed, patting his fist against his chest, "In that freaking Temple."_

"_I can tell," She replied worriedly, the one visible eye flicking all over his ruined tunic, scorch marks and rips littering it like a disease. "Are... are you hurt anywhere?"_

_Link shrugged and drank more water. "Not too bad. I'm better at getting to the monsters first, now. The Forest Temple's so far been the worst."_

"_How..." she dubiously struggled with what to say. "How are you not afraid?"_

"_Of course he's afraid," Navi piped up, earning a glare from Link, "He was about to pee his pants when he saw Volvagia."_

"_Navi!" the Hero was blushing to the tips of his pointed ears, and he furiously batted at her like a fly, calling her childish names till she flew away. Still unsatisfied, Link muttered darkly to himself, hunching his shoulders as he finished the water-skin. Looking stupid in front of Sheik, _twice_. This sucked. _

"_I think it's cool," Sheik said, and got a glare from Link. She hastily shook her hands to show that she'd meant no offense, "I mean, not the peeing pants part, that's gross, ew, but, I think it's cool that you still got out. You fought it. And you beat it, and I think that's really, really cool. Really."_

_Link plucked the water-skin from his mouth and handed it back to her, muttering grudgingly about saving the world. _

_She clutched the thing against her stomach and looked down. "It's unfair that you have to do it alone, though," _

_The boy shrugged again, giving one dry, irritated sniff, "I have Navi. Even if she's really annoying. And stupid. I mean, she says stupid things _all the time_. She called me Captain Obvious for _ages_ in the Temple."_

_Sheik held back a laugh. "Why?"_

_Link scowled and crossed his arms. "Cause Navi's stupid."_

_Sheik laughed for real this time, and a smile twitched Link's face too. He decided to make fun of Navi more often if it could make his friend laugh. _

"_So, you came to say hi? Or did you come to tell me something important like Stingy?"_

_Sheik looked at him and cocked her head to the side. "Who's Stin-jee?"_

"_Your brother."_

"_...I have a brother?"_

_Link rolled his eyes with exasperation and elaborated while gesturing, "The _other_ Sheik. You said he was your twin."_

_There was a pause. "Oh. _Oh. _Ooooh... Oh yeah."_

"_What do you mean, _oh yeah_?" his question was befuddled at best, and Sheik nervously wrung her hands. _

"_Well, I thought I said she... the other Sheik was _like_ my twin. In a way. Um..."_

_Link narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms again. Sheik winced and hastily said, "You know how I said I have to keep a lot of things secret?"_

_Link nodded sceptically. "Yeah?"_

"_This is one of them."_

_His tone was displeased. "Yeah."_

"_I'm sorry. But it's the truth, sort of. The other Sheik really is like my twin. We're, well, exactly the same."_

_Now doubtful. "Yeah..."_

"_No really. _Exactly_ the same."_

_Link leaned forward and Sheik almost took an uneasy step back. "Then why do you cover your face? If you look the same then you don't need to, do you?"_

"_Well... you know what the other Sheik-"_

_Link interrupted her; "Just call him Stingy, it's much easier."_

"_Well, alright Stingy said," Sheik stopped and looked completely baffled. "Why _Stingy_?"_

_Link shrugged and waved the question off impatiently. "Because he acts Stingy and doesn't talk as much as you. Come on, why do you cover your face?"_

_She hurriedly explained, "He told you he was the last of the Sheikah, right? But there's two of us, when there's only supposed to be one. Um, so, it's... it's to make sure Ganondorf thinks there's only one of us. Yeah, Stingy, he wanted you to think there's only one of us too, but, you know how I'm not really good at keeping quiet..."_

_Link had the feeling that there were some untruths being told, but Sheik ploughed on, "This is our secret, yeah? You and me meeting up. Please? I want to be your friend, I want to help you as much as I can. I wish I could fight with you, but I can't, and Stingy's, well..."_

_Link couldn't help but smirk triumphantly."Stingy?"_

"_...Yeah." was her defeated sigh, slumping her shoulders and scuffing her shoe against the dusty ground. "And I have to protect the Princess. Secrets and all that."_

_The problem with her, Link decided, was that she was _way_ too expressive, even when her mask was on. No wonder she was so terrible at hiding things; maybe the outfit had something to do with that. Not that it was a bad outfit. It looked _really_ good on her. _

"_Yeah, yeah, I get it," Link conceded, "No showing and telling."_

"_...Thanks."_

_Link pointed over his shoulder with his thumb imperiously. "I'll let you off the hook once you tell me how you got up there. _I'm_ supposed to be cool Hero. I should be at the top."_

_Sheik seemed to grin. "But _I'm_ the mysterious messenger. I should be getting dibs for- _stop laughing at me_! I'm mysterious! You can't laugh at people like me! I'm, that's, oh you big _meanie_!"_

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link woke up, took off the Mask of remembrance that he'd been sure, again, was the Watchdog mask, and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He did some mental calculations in his head. Sheik had been a soul trapped in Zelda's body for seven years, and since she'd started off as a three year old, she was a ten-year-old soul sharing a seventeen year old body with its original soul. Just like him at the time. No wonder, in hindsight, Sheik had been so childish and had gotten along so well with him. Her desperate attempts at 'inadvertently' hinting at the truth made him chuckle, now. He could make so much sense of her, from all those years ago, now that he knew what had happened.

Link looked at the Mask, gave an irritated sigh, and shoved it in his pack. He didn't need this. He didn't need having memories shoved on him, remembering their friendship, her efforts to help him and his own to make her laugh and smile. He'd understood perfectly well how long seven years was; he'd missed out on them, after all. He'd understood that though he resented the shock and horror he'd had to endure in the first week of reacquainting himself with the devastated Hyrule, the despair of _watching_ it happen would have been ten times worse.

"Jim, get up," Link shook him roughly and stood, stretching as the younger man moaned, "We've got lots of work tonight."

Link's pack was now small enough to be called a satchel. It fitted snugly between his sword and shield as he clipped his weapons against his back.

Sheik was outside, staring at Pamela's expansive camp of workers. When she turned she jumped and stammered, and Link couldn't help but snort with amusement. She hadn't changed at all. He could feel her guilt waving off of her as she said she'd just been about to wake them.

"It's fine," Link assured her, patting her lightly on the shoulder, "How's the Mask?"

She nodded and patted her head. "It's like there's a blanket weighing down on me, but I got used to it."

"It's your exhaustion building up, just so you know," he warned her, "You won't feel it physically, but your body will be responding to it; you'll be moving slower, or tripping more often. If you start shaking even if you're not cold, and I will notice, believe me, you're taking the mask off and one of us is carrying you. Alright?"

She nodded reluctantly.

Link sighed and peered in the direction she'd been staring at and found nothing worth of interest. So he asked. Sheik quickly looked at the tent Jim was supposed to be coming out of before saying, "I think I just Saw what's going to happen here. I don't know when, though."

Link pursed his lips sympathetically. "What's going to happen?"

"Ghosts with scythes are going to come and ransack the place. A shadow's cleaving the tents open for them. Pamela... Pamela's fighting them off as best she can, but she's backing into the cliff. I think she'll fall. I... oh gods, I should warn them."

Link couldn't help but glare at where the raiders were sleeping for the night. "They won't believe you."

She was shaking, as if she was watching the paranormal slaughter right there and then. "We have to help them."

He shrugged. "If we're here when the attack is on, maybe."

Sheik sharply turned to look at him as if he'd punched her without warning. "What? _Maybe_?"

"You have to admit the ghosts have the advantage in everything," Link reasoned, glancing irritably at the tent where Jim _better_ be coming out soon, "The home turf, the lack of mortality, the numbers, the motive. It'll be a slaughter, and I can't have you hurt."

"But-!"

"If these thugs are as smart as they look, they'll run like hell and never come back. That's pretty much what the ghosts want, to be left alone to their misery. As for Pamela..." Link chewed the inside of his mouth to keep his real opinions to himself. "I don't like how she turned out, but there's no denying she's clever. She'll handle herself fine."

When Link looked at her she looked so... _disappointed_ that he was thrown back to when he was still fighting claws and teeth and he had to, _had _to make her smile.

"Hey, come on, don't look so upset," Link pleaded, "If it looks like it'll get out of hand, and if we're on site I'll help them out. I probably jump in at the last moment and grab her as she's hanging off the cliff or something. They'll be fine. I promise."

Sheik looked at him doubtfully, but smiled.

Cursing his weakness Link turned back at the tent and sighed in awkward relief. "Now come on; Jim's finally up, and we've got a Castle to sneak into."

"I've been wondering about that," Jim yawned beside them, walking round Link to stand beside Sheik to give her a hug, "How are we going to get in when these guys've been trying to do the same for the last two weeks?"

Link looked away from the couple. "I know where the backdoor is."

-,-'-,-'-,-

They climbed up a sloping path till Link stopped and circled something dark against the ground, and when the moon was released from the clouds they saw that it was a pit.

Sheik froze. Her voice was muffled because of the mask. "What is that?"

"A well." Link said, crawling on his hands and knees in search of the elusive ladder, "An extremely dangerous well, especially at night. I wouldn't recommend this route to anyone unless they have me with them. And you do, so you'll be fine. Ah, here's the ladder."

"You call that a guarantee?" Jim sputtered with horror, gaze flicking from Link to well to back to Link again, "You're a freaking mask-maker. What do you know about fighting?"

"I used to be a mercenary of a sort before this job, did I mention that?"

"Using that fancy-pansy sword?" he scoffed. "It looked like an _accessory_."

"That weapon is actually very powerful. You shouldn't underestimate things by their looks."

The young man rolled his eyes. "What else do you have that's oh so powerful? Your masks?"

Link rolled his eyes right back, mockingly. "I think the answer is obvious, considering what one of them is doing to your girlfriend."

"Don't call me his girlfriend."

The Hylian blinked at Sheik, who seemed to be scowling, and smiled. "Why?"

She crossed her arms. "I have a name. I'm not _his girlfriend_."

"I see," Link grinned, gesturing at the well, trying not to look at Jim, who was clearly looking a little miffed and betrayed, "You coming, Sheik of the Sheikah?"

She hesitated before nodding. Link began to climb down. "I'll go first. It's a long way down, so don't start panicking in the dark; it's the easiest way to fall."

"I'll go before you, Bell," Jim said, "Here, I'll hold your stuff too. You're still tired, right?"

"You sure? Because..."

"Really. I'll take it."

"...Thanks, Jim."

Link sighed as he started descending. He paused, however, when he found himself nose-to-nose with Jim at the lip of the well. He glared and said, "Her name's Bell."

Link grinned. "If she says so."

Then, as easily as you please, the ex-hero slid down the ladder, the rungs flying up as he sunk down, down, into the well, slowly skidding to a stop when he thought he was fairly close to the ground. He took his last steps carefully, listening for the moan of the undead. But there wasn't any nearby, which surprised him somewhat. Link reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a lantern and a match, swinging it round once there was enough light to see a few metres ahead. There was nothing. No gibdo, no redead, no bo. Link wondered if Pamela and had invaded this place but somehow given up, deciding the treasure-less maze wasn't worth exploring.

Well, Link _did_ come here first. Finders keepers, eh?

He waited patiently for the teens to come along, checking through his satchel one last time to make sure he brought all the masks he needed. The Wolf's hood, which he'd made of out a particularly large and durable wolfos, three of the classics; the Captain's Hat, the Stone Mask, and the Bunny Hood (which he was never, ever going to wear in front of Jim even if it meant his death) and...

Link's fingers ghosted over the smooth surface of the final mask and hoped his paranoia would be unfounded. It felt like the thing was grinning in anticipation.

Shaking that thought off Link wore the Wolf's hood, which was basically a balaclava made out of a wolfos' head, and felt his eyesight getting better, his sense of smell rise, his instincts improve by a fold or two. The slight problem with this mask was that every time he finished using it he craved meat, always wanted to fight, and felt particularly territorial. Not to mention hostile. Which wasn't so great with his already confused, frustrated situation with Sheik, but he could always blame that on... well... he'll think of something later.

Jim came down first, and Link handed him the lantern. "Right, you keep the lantern, and once Sheik's down too, follow me. If I go for my weapon, you will hide. If I shout at you to stop, drop, roll, duck, or quite plainly _run away_, you will do so. Any questions?"

He lifted the lantern higher and squinted. "What are you _wearing_?"

Link frowned. His mask amplified his dislike for insubordination as well. "It's called the Wolf's hood, Jimmy-boy. I made it. Helps me keep you safe."

"You're delusional, if you think that mask's going to help you feel stronger."

"Don't tempt me to use this to tear your throat out, whelp, because I am really, really sick of your nonsense." Link told him very, very threateningly, sending a shiver down the young man's spine. "I am sick of your whining, I am sick of your yapping, and I am particularly sick of your barking. If you want to follow that with a bite anytime soon, be my guest. I'll be happy to sink my teeth into you. _Really_."

"You wouldn't have anything standing in your way to her after that, would you, old man?"

There was a nasty _thud_ as something sharp hit the wall right next to Jim's ear. It was one of Link's mask-making picks. "That's your first warning."

Jim's breath shuddered. "You... you can't kill me."

The laugh that skulked out of the wolf's jaw wasn't pleasant. "Theoretically, I can. In _so_ many ways. Good thing you're Sheik's precious boyfriend, hm?"

"She'll never choose you over me."

"Then why so competitive, Jimmy-boy?" Link mocked, and the mask's ears picking up Sheik's footsteps on the rungs of the ladder. "Are you alright, Sheik?"

"Coming!" she called back, and she squeaked.

"Be careful!" Jim yelled, before Link could cut him off, "You're nearly down, so don't rush!"

"Be careful indeed," the Hylian chuckled nastily at Jim, before putting his back on the light and walking away.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link took off the hood as he breathed clean air, glad that not much time had passed. His stomach growled as he folded the hood and placed it in his bag, and he had a desperate urge to start whistling a tune. He looked up at the very full moon and sighed. As Jim helped Sheik out of the maze Link unwrapped the last of the dragonfly meat from the first night and devoured it, walking briskly towards the entrance of the front door of the Ikana Castle.

He stopped.

The Dead were everywhere.

They stared at him, silent empty eye-sockets and slack-jawed mouths all pointed in his direction, and Link didn't move a single muscle, not one, frozen to the spot with his shock. They were frozen too, mid-activity, the stalchildren delivering parts and tools, redeads lowering or lifting hammers from weapons half-forged in fires that didn't smoke, and were definitely not the natural red-gold in colour. The gibdo were climbing and building what were clearly catapults, using their naturally muffled hands to bang in the nails into the wood.

They were preparing for a war.

Link laughed, hollowly shaking his head. "I should've seen this coming."

"Should've seen wha...?" Sheik and Jim froze next to him, paling.

Link lifted his hands, slowly, to show the once-alive-warriors that he meant no harm as their point of concentration shifted. "Don't scream. Don't make a sudden move. Do _not_, on no account, turn your back."

"Link..." Sheik's voice quavered as if she was on the verge of tears. "Why are they staring at me?"

Link had hoped she hadn't noticed that. "Either it's because they think you're their enemy that I took as my prisoner, what with the cursed mask and all, or... they think you're their next Shaman that would lead them to their victory."

Jim gritted his teeth. "Like I'll ever let _that_ happen."

"I'm sorry, Jim," Sheik laughed with some unease as the dead ahead began to move, recovering from their confusion, "But I'm going to have to bet on the zombies if it's a fight between you and them. Thanks for the sentiment, though."

"What do you mean 'you should've seen this coming', anyway?" was Jim's disgruntled question, "You a friend of theirs?"

"As for your first question," Link shrugged with some trepidation, eyeing the lightweight but strong weapons that the redeads were collecting amongst themselves, "Imagine your home was being ransacked before your eyes. Wouldn't you pick up a weapon and fight back?"

"But these guys are supposed to be _dead_!"

"Imagine a King with a knack for necromancy, who was already dead but not, watching his whole kingdom that he was proud of ruling getting taken apart by people who just wanted to make a quick buck. And imagine me being friends with him, and I bring somebody in a cursed mask specifically used for prisoners _here_, where they're oh so coincidentally readying themselves for war. What do you think the outcome would be?"

"So that's a yes on the friends question?"

"A 'sort of' is more appropriate, but that is not the point."

"If I don't take this off I'm going to be executed, aren't I." Sheik murmured, shaking. "The only reason they haven't killed us yet is because of you, isn't it."

Link nodded. "Yep. You better do it now. Slowly. I just saw a bo skidding off to warn Igos. Jim, don't move. _Do not move_." Link's snarl was filled with rage as the younger man attempted to step in front of Sheik, "This is no time for bravado. If you so much as _shift_ your position anywhere closer to their Shaman or their prisoner, they will maul you. You do not know how strong these bastards are, and the Captain's Hat alone won't quell them."

"You don't talk to-"

"Jim, shut up," Sheik told him calmly, making him gawp, "We're safe once I take off this mask, right?"

Link made an iffy gesture. "Once they know you put it on yourself they won't think of killing you as much."

"Charming." With nervous, shaking hands, she slowly reached for the edge of her mask to pull it off. She gripped the edge, pulled, slowly, slowly, but she let it go with a painful gasp, swaying on the spot. "I can't. I can't."

Link felt his heart begin to pick its pace. Again. _Again_. Unable to help her when he should be. "Sheik, that's the one phrase I don't want to hear, for your own sake."

"I don't understand... why can't I...?"

Link knew all too well. The exhaustion hit her when she tried to take it off, and only half conscious, she allows the mask to slip back on, but she's forced awake when the mask takes effect. Oh this was just _brilliant_. A vicious cycle of lack-of sleep at its best.

Link stuck out his tongue, clicked it and groaned. "You know what? Screw going slow. Rip it off. You're probably going to collapse as soon as that thing's gone, anyway."

"Oh that's going to help, really." Jim spat, turning, _sharply_, on Link.

"Right, you've officially provoked them." Link stepped forward, smoothly unsheathing the Fairy Blade and uncovering his Mirror shield, its engraved face snarling between fear and anger. "Sheik, take the Mask off, _now_. Jim, catch her in the likely event she'll fall. Me, I'm going to break a few limbs and hope Igos isn't going to be too angry about it."

Link glared over his shield as the army of the dead roared.

* * *

**OOooooh! EPIC FIGHT! Or... not? I didn't write one, but if you want an epic fight scene, please tell me, and I'll rewrite the chapter to make it happen. And my favourite character appears in the next one! I love his personality. XD **

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_k-shee_: Yep! They're meant to be similar. Perhaps Sheik's subconscious is telling her something? Bwahahahaa. And yes, he is a close-minded person, but if he wasn't nice why _else_ would Sheik be hanging out with him? Though that might change in the next chapter... (I loved that fic you wrote about Sheik's eyes by the way, I think I reviewed it twice), That's a good point. I'll get her to be more outgoing now. Without killing off her current personality. **

**_Missing Triforce_: Fear enough, though death is a HUGE factor in the next couple of chapters, literally, lol. As for legends and things, it's not that they don't believe in them, (since they have the four guardians and the carnival of time and things) it's more 'They're _legends_, they don't happen _now_, surely not'. And they believe in magic, but it's not that powerful in termina, at least, not in the people. It's more an object thing (like masks XP) I agree, but Link's thinking is, that ever since there was peace he found that he couldn't realte to people and that the jobs a 'hero' was good at doing mostly had to do with either killing mosnters, or killing people. And he was sick of doing both of that. Poor Link. Thank you for sucha long review! I hope you liked this chapter too!**

**_RaeyaKimani_: Bwahaha! I haven't even finished the stupid game, I just need the stupid couple's mask WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO GET and then beat the moon. But I know what the place looks like, so tht's all that matters, I suppose. XD Thank you, I don't like raiders either. Bastards. **

**_V musicka_: They had a small private moment here too, which was nice. And yes, torturing Link is awfully entertaining. But I gotta be careful though, the guy can only take so much... And yes, I totally Lara Crofted Pamela. XD I just thought it'd be an _awesome_ idea, and I hoped it worked!**

**_Kiara victory Tatsu_: Go illegal activities! XD**

**_Erendan_: I feel bad because I put Once Upon a Fairytale to write this. I know how it's going to end but I can't get the ball rolling for the middle... ToT**

**_HumanRiot_: Yep, Sheik will eventually remember him. Eventually. But she'll have to deal with lots of guilt for that... bwahahahahahaaaaaa!**

**_Meta Zangetsu_: ...You know, that never occured to me. The whole captain's hat thing that you mentioned never crossed my mind. (You're so awesome XD) That would've been _epic_ though. But I think Link doesn't want to freak out Sheik too much and he doesn't like attacking _people_. Monsters are okay, but not _people_. He doesn't want to end up like Ganondorf, no mater how badly _bad people_ deserved to be whupped. **

**_goldenrhino_: Oh yeeeeaaah... that's a good point. Oh well, I'll just make up on the spot that though the garo were a manifestation of willpower, they needed stuff to hold them together. Which is the corpes. :P lol I hope you liked the chapter anyway. XD**


	8. Remember

**Hey guys! HOLY COW THAT WAS A LOT OF REVIEWS I got for this chapter, talk about insane! Man, this is going to make review-replying hard for me, but it's totally worth it! XD**

**Okay, in this chapter there is, sort-of-epic fight, MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER, another dream from Link, and Jim gets PWNED in the worst way possible. Oh, and some blatant TP references. **

**You'll see what I mean. **

**ENJOY!**

**p.s., is it me, or when I connect ! and ? togther, does the latter disappear?**

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* * *

******

8

- Remember

He slipped the earring that held Nayru's love out of his lobe and prayed for her protection as he told Jim to hold on to it as if it depended on his life. Which, if Link got tired and couldn't fight the army off, would be very true.

Happy to see that the blue walls were neatly intact around the panicking boy and the sleeping girl, Link hurled himself at the army. And stopped.

He was here for information. Cut _them_, no information. No information, no helping Sheik.

_Damn it_!

The Stalchildren got to him first, waving swords and spiked shields in their bony hands. Link jumped over them and kicked them like a pile of tin cans, making them squeal and rattled and topple. He could vaguely hear Jim screeching at him to cut the bastards, but Link blocked it out as he weaved past the squealing skeletons in the multicoloured night, his sight flickering with a mass of bodies moaning towards him to rip him apart limb from limb.

Behind him the Stalchildren were regrouping, while some Stalfos lunged for the kill from the front. These guys he had no qualms dismembering; they could pull themselves together later.

Two came at once and Link blocked the other with the Mirror Shield while receiving the first blow with his sword. He jerked his weapon as he rammed Stalfos 2 in the face with the shield. Stalfos 1 lost his sword arm and roared at the outrage as his pal lost his balance, and then his head, once Link executed the spin attack. Using his move's momentum Link kicked the headless body down with his heel, used it as a platform to leap up, split Stalfos 1's helm as he spun over its head and upon landing flung his sword up and around, neatly slicing through the warrior's spine.

They fell in a heap of bones, struggling to move. The thrill of the fight burned in Link's gut.

"Come on!" he yelled at them as they came to kill him.

He pedalled back as he parried a particularly fast Stalfos's blows, ducking and weaving from the jabs at his legs from the Stalchildren, his dancing steps hindering them and forcing them to attack each other. He jumped back a few times before back-flipping, standing easily with hands held open almost in a midst of a shrug. He'd put away his weapons as he'd leapt.

Link cocked an eyebrow at the armoured skeleton. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Maybe some vestige of common sense made him hesitate, that old urge to remain unhurt and _alive_ against such confidence making it falter, but the armoured Stalfos charged anyway, sword raised and jaws flapping in a tremendous roar.

Link _snarled_ and delivered the mortal draw. Stalfos 3 was blown away, ribs shorn and missing both his forearms. His head followed as Link decapitated it.

There was a _scream_.

His insides turned cold. His limbs froze. Fear and panic iced him to the spot as his weapon burnt against his palm like frostbite, screaming at him to _move_, _move_!

A redead, dried flesh clinging to its gaunt body, lurched towards him, dragging behind it a sword _bigger_ than it was.

Move. Link told his heart to beat again. _MOVE_!

He barely rolled to safety as the massive weapon _thunked_ into the dusty ground. Link's heart hammered inside the sudden biting cage of fear. He shouldn't be messing around with an army of screamers. He kicked the redead's feet from under it and scrambled away, bashing the undead soldiers with his shield, confusing their limited sight with its reflective surface.

Then he remembered he had something useful. Groaning, he rolled underneath a stalfos with a halberd and gripped the sword in his teeth by the hilt and rummaged in his bag, pulling out the Captain's hat.

Smacking a gibdo in the face with the flat of his sword to stop it from screaming, Link wore it, its bone ribs melting into his cheekbones, giving him the authority of a captain that had kept the subordinates in line for the last two hundred and seventy three years.

Then he tried to think of what to say, because they probably thought he was just a captain gone rogue. Oh what the heck. "To me! To me!"

The stalchildren responded like a miracle. They chattered and scattered and regrouped around him, barring their teeth, rattling their heads on their spinal cords, shaking their shields and swords at their comrades and singing and dancing, "To the Captain! To the Captain!"

"...Huh," Link couldn't help but say, "I could get used to this."

The break in the figurative house caused enough confusion for Link to find a foothold, step on it, and address the crowd. Which he would've done if he hadn't been interrupted.

"_What in the blazes of the living is going on here?_"

The army shivered and cowered. Link grinned.

From the Castle, surrounded by a platoon of the animated dead, strode the most powerful skeleton of all, a figure history remembered as Igos du Ikana, the final and most terrible King of the Wasteland, followed by his Personal Bodyguards 1 and 2. The whole crowd turned and shambled to bow at the impressive sight of their monarch, wreathed in the flicking light of real, mortal flames. The skeleton with the distinctly reptilian face seemed to glower with expressionless eyes as he crossed his arms over his imperious chest, body clad in war clothes that still retained its fierce beauty and elegance. "I was informed of intruders and a prisoner, yet I see a rogue feigning as a Captain I know who acquired retirement not so many years ago. And I do seem to remember who you are, _boy_. Come here."

"Of course, your Highness," Link sheepishly replied, taking off the hat as he weaved himself politely through the mass of a now baffled and disorganized army of animate corpses in varying degrees of decay. Thankfully there was less rot and more dust and oily dirt to their smell, so it was surprisingly bearable as he moved along.

He reverently bowed before the long lost King of Ikana and spoke with utmost respect. "Forgive my rudeness Lord King, and my sudden intrusion. My comrades were cowed by your army and I was forced my hand to protect them. I didn't realise this place would be so... busy, with the counterattack against the raiders." Link looked back to see the work was beginning once more, delivering, forging, building, pink, green, blue and purple flames melting the metal much faster than ordinary flames ever could, staining the dark night with colours of bruises and blood. "Will you be attacking soon?"

"Yes. They've ruined our lands, robbed my subjects' homes, trampled on grounds that weren't for their pink feet. I will hear more of your insolence inside. Come."

"Understood, Lord Igos," Link graciously replied, hollering towards Jim and the unconscious Sheik, "There's no time for explanations, just get in!"

Jim, thankfully, stayed quiet as he carried Sheik over his shoulder and hobbled his way over to the stairs, avoiding the redeads and the gibdos at all costs. Once within the throne room, and Igos du Ikana, allowed his guards except for Personal bodyguards One and Two to leave, he sighed, gave an un-regal stretch, and burped. "Oh by Four that was tiring."

"Good to see you, Igos," Link laughed, shaking his bony hand.

"You too, kiddo," the dead king punched Link's shoulder and rattled with his laughter. "How many years has it been, hm? You should've visited more often. And what's with your _face_?"

"My tattoo is none of your concern, though four years _is_ a long while to be out of touch," the Hylian bashfully agreed, "I would've stopped by if the masks sold a little better..."

"_How are you talking normally with a Skeleton King thing_?" Jim demanded, pointing at Link, "What the hell is going on?"

"Slow, isn't he," Igos commented not very quietly at all.

The mask-maker sighed and shrugged. "I talk normally with a king because I'm used to royalty. Masks sell to everyone, you know. And I get good design ideas from these guys."

"Gotta keep the Ikana fire burning somehow," Igos sighed, sounding petulant.

Link frowned a little indignantly. "My masks last a very long time, you know."

"Chyah, because we gave you the magic to make it happen."

"No, I stole it from someone who stole it off you first, _then_ you taught me."

"Details, details."

"This is _still weird_!" Jim almost shrieked, gasping.

"Sir," Personal Bodyguard One commented, "I think the young man is having a panic attack."

"Culture shock, yeah," Personal Bodyguard Two agreed, scrutinising the young man closely. "Shall we knock him out like the young girl, sir?"

Jim backed away, holding Sheik protectively. "_Get away from me_!"

"Nah, let him stew, good to see some facial expression round here," Igos casually waved off, draping an arm round Link's shoulders as they walked, "So, what are you here for? Not the food, I hope. It kinda rotted a few centuries ago."

"You think your documents are safe?" Link asked with some concern, "I was hoping to do some research about your Shamans."

Igos stopped, and Link was forced to stop with him. The skeleton's head swivelled round, eyeholes boring into the Hylian's blue gaze. "You want to know about our Shamans... why?"

Link thought _oops_. "Is it a touchy subject?"

"They _were_ a powerful asset to us before they betrayed our race and eradicated our culture."

"...Ah."

"But then again, along our long line of ancestors Volvagia somehow got mixed in, so we kind of liked having said Sheikah for snacks, so, I suppose the betrayal was somewhat justified."

"Ah."

"Other than that," If Igos had a face Link got the feeling that he would be glaring with great, great suspicion, "They were my family's secret, carefully locked away, bred to uphold their power to withstand the test of time. Their escape is considered the most shameful occurrence in the history of the house. No one should know about the Shamans. So... why do you?"

"Um... rumours? Legend, myths, things like that."

The grip on his shoulder hardened. Igos' voice was low and threatening. "You're lying, boy."

Link quickly glanced at where Jim and Sheik were and saw PB1 and PB2 were holding their spears in such a way that it neatly placed their points at Jim's direction.

The boy looked from the spears to Link and hyperventilated. "Don't tell them. _Don't_."

Link contemplatively licked his lips before admitting, "Alright, yes, I'm lying. The line of Shaman's survived. We have one. Powerful gift, too. Terrible at controlling it though, so we were hoping for a manual or some notes, you know, to work it out. If you don't mind."

"Aw yeah, go right ahead," Igos let Link's shoulder go and waved causally. "Good thing for you that it's you who's asking. Few years ago and I would've killed you the old-fashioned way. Really messy, believe me."

"Right," Link dryly drawled, though a smile still tugged his face, "You're really determined to scare the hell out of the newbie, aren't you."

"It's fun!" the skeleton king chattered with glee, and his bodyguards laughed too, "The facial expressions, the raw _terror_! Seriously, spend your time with people who've got frozen faces for a millennia and it gets _old_."

"I can imagine." Link agreed, laughing with some pity as Jim swayed on his feet, "Igos, I think we could use some rest. Or have your beds rotted away as well?"

"You kidding?" Igos gloated with glee, "The one thing about royalty is that luxury tends to _last_. They're beds here for you, come on, and we'll get right down to the bookkeeping in the morning. Will your apprentice be able to sleep, though? With the shock and all?"

It took a moment for Jim to realise what he'd been called. "I'm not his apprentice!"

"What about that girl there, then?" Igos enquired politely enough, "She his apprentice? Or, Link my boy, did you finally find yourself a woman?"

"Bell's _my_ girlfriend!"

"Oh," Igos grunted with some disappointment, "What a waste."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link swirled the wine in the clay cup and chuckled. "It just occurred to me that I must be drinking the most expensive and sort-after wine of all time."

Igos chuckled. "You like?"

"It's definitely wiser than any other drink I've had," Link gave a quiet toast to the king before taking another sip, "It's a shame I'm not so good at telling good wine from great wine."

"Ah, well, you're the only one who can drink it at all. Speaking of, how old are those kids?"

"Seventeen and slightly older, I think."

"Hurrah!" Igos whooped, "Sixteen is the age limit! Our wine has more mouths to intoxicate!"

Link laughed. "You just made that up, didn't you."

"Of course not," the king replied with great dignity, "Dead I may be, and enjoy drunken tardiness of children far too much, but I still live by the laws of my land."

"You're doing well, just for that." Another sip, and a quick bite of the jerky he'd supplied in his bag. "How many more have gone to rest?"

"A few, but not as many as I'd like," Igos sighed, slumping against one of his many brilliant pillows, "The problem with being half-dead for so long is that you don't really _remember_ what you're regretting. I've got my guards to remind me, and they have each other, but the others haven't had the misfortune of having such annoying companions."

"Remembering, huh..." Link muttered, watching the dark amber of the wine, "You know, I made a new mask recently that might come in handy."

Igos visibly perked up. "Oh?"

"I made it because I needed to remember a hell of a lot of passwords to get into some fortress, and that was about it. But it's been acting up lately, playing memories in my dreams, whenever I dig into my bag it's been leaping into my hand. Maybe it's telling me something."

"Though that is a prospect that poses quite a bit of optimism my way," Igos commented sceptically, "You really do put too much credit to the powers of an inanimate object."

"So people tell me." Link conceded, enjoying the long last mouthful of the Ikana wine, "I'll see if I can rearrange its properties or something. Could you get me a-"

"A blanket, yes, and some incense I suppose, to help you rest." Igos sighed, standing and stretching, yawning dramatically on top of it all, "Mustn't let the morning catch up with us."

Link blinked, frowned, and opened his mouth. Igos raised his hand and silenced him. "You're still alive and kicking, Link. You must rest. I don't like the idea of you joining our ranks simply because I didn't let you, a guest, have the hospitality you deserve."

The mask-maker sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. But I'm using that mask, see how it works."

"What you do in your sleep isn't my business, guest of mine," Igos seemed to grin, as he exited, "Although, you sure you want to waste your dreams on the likes of the dead? After all, your Sheik is a mighty beauty."

Link snorted. "She's quite a few years younger than me, lord King. And she's not mine."

"Yet."

"You're going to have your body parts left in places you can't reach if you go on like that."

Igos cackled. "I'll go on however I like, friend. I've lost count how I old I am, that still doesn't stop me appreciating that young flower."

"Wait till you see her eyes," the Hylian couldn't help but boast, "They're like... roses."

-,-'-,-'-,-

_He'd needed to run. He'd needed to go back in time, when the Market place was still a fun place to be, where the fields were filled with caravans and tradesmen, where he was Kokiri, the Gorons laughed, the Zora swam freely, where everything wasn't so damned _dangerous_. He could sit there for days, soaking up the sun, pretending that all was right in the world._

_But it was only pretence, and the guilt of not doing anything when the whole of Hyrule depended on him to make it all alright again, brought him back into the dark future._

_W__hen he sheathed the Master Sword and turned, Sheik was right there, waiting for him._

_He blushed and stuttered, and immediately apologised. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."_

_Sheik seemed genuinely surprised. "Um, what?"_

_The boy gave a wince as he wondered, "You're not... you're not angry?"_

"_Should I be?"_

"_But I... it's just, um,"_

"_Link," Navi scolded, "You've got no reason to be ashamed, stop worrying."_

_The Hero growled and looked embarrassed as he said, "Navi..."_

_The fairy fearlessly turned on Sheik and said, "He was taking a break. He couldn't handle the frozen Zora cavern; he hasn't been in the Water Temple yet. Got a problem with that?"_

"_No, I... I only came to say hi." Sheik scratched her head and seemed to shy away a little. "And, to see how you guys are doing. So um, hello."_

_Link couldn't help but smile back at the smile in her tone. "Uh... hi."_

"_If you're hungry, I brought raisin bread, it's my favourite. We should be safe in here, even if it _is_ real close to Ganon but... you wanna warp to the Meadow? You like it best there, right?"_

"_Oh yeah, definitely," Navi agreed for her charge, "Come on greeney-boy!"_

_Link continued to blush as he put his lips to his ocarina and followed Sheik to the Forest warp-point. When he got there in a blink, Sheik had already sat down next to a pack full of comfort food, bread broken in a rough half, handing him the bigger piece._

"_What was the past like?" she asked, "Was it nice?"_

_Link nodded, and talked. He talked about the past, and then that led to other things, like his favourite birds and insects, his favourite pass time, and they debated about silly things, like which was hotter between the sun's surface or the magma underground, which was better between cheese and jerky, and then they accused each other of being petty till they laughed. _

_Sheik handed him a bag full of sweets. "Take your pick; I deem you winner of this contest."_

_Link stuck his hand into the bag and rummaged round. "Contest for what?"_

"_Being the most annoying, that's what," she teased, half-cackling._

_Link 'hmm'ed unhappily, as he'd already taken a sugar ball. Then he grinned. "Nah, then, you should have the rest, because you're the _king_ of annoying."_

_Sheik gave a gasp and poked him in the stomach. "I'm the _Queen_ of annoying, jerk-face!"_

"_See?" Link demanded back, tackling her to the ground, "_Petty_!"_

_She grunted and fought back with a thrilled snarl, Navi giving a wonderful if ironic commentary on their wrestling. "Aaaand the fight is on! The two pick at their petty little grievances and have started a petty wrestling match, people, oh the joys of petty physical violence! Sheik escapes the grip of the Hero of Time, wonderful kick in the chest, there, and Link retaliates by, ooh, that's cruel! You shouldn't do that to a girl!"_

"_Equality of the genders!" Link snapped as he held her in a headlock._

"_But-never mind! Sheik shows her amazing skill by _throwing_ her legs up and standing on Link's shoulders! And yet the thought doesn't seem well processed since both of you topple to the floor in a really agonised pile. I hope you haven't-aw guys you're going too fast for me to commentate! Link tries to hold her down but Sheik's arms are like spaghetti they're going _everywhere-_"_

"_My arm's aren't like-_hey_!" Link tackled her to the ground again but this time he held her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides and locking her legs with his own as he pinned her to the ground. He grinned smugly into her hair, breathing hard. _

"_Got you."_

"_But that's not fair!" she protested squirming, "Navi's such a distraction!"_

"_I'm used to it." Link chuckled and called up at his fairy friend, "Good work Navi."_

"_You _do_ realise I was just trying to point out how ridiculous you two looked, right?"_

"_Yep," Link laughed, "Because _you're_ the Queen of annoying."_

"_Actually I think she's the _Empress_ of Annoying." Sheik added contemplatively as she settled into Link's impromptu embrace._

"_Nah," Link grinned, "She's the Goddess of Annoying. So I win."_

"_She's the Epitome of Annoying!" Sheik declared, laughing as Navi shrieked in outrage and assaulted them both, "So I beat you again, Hero of Time."_

"_Why you little-"_

"Little_!" Navi shrieked, now flashing a violent orange, "_Who're you calling **LITTLE**_!"_

"_Run away!" Sheik and Link untangled and they ran away into the forest meadow, dodging into the many branches of the maze and avoiding the moblins at all costs, breathlessly laughing and running, holding hands to not lose each other. _

_Link never wanted to let go of this hand, not ever, ever, ever._

-,-'-,-'-,-

When Link woke up and examined the mask, he wondered how this new property had been mixed into it. This mask was for remembering _facts_, and very recent ones at that, like passwords and code, books read out loud. Now it was showing him memories, in his dreams. How had that happened? And how could he change this mask to help Igos?

Well, since the _rememorizing_ had just plain changed to _memory_, he supposed he didn't have to worry about that so much, but how could he make it less capricious?A new coating, maybe, or a change in the symbols that lined the Third Eye. Something about regrets, to limit the range of memories. He should get onto it right away.

...After he checked up on Sheik. And Jim, he supposed.

When he exited his room there were guards waiting outside for him, and they led him to where Jim and Sheik were, and the sight was somewhat funny but worrying. Jim was edgily holding a few makeshift weapons while the skeleton guards sat away playing some card games. That was the funny part; the worrying part was that Sheik was still asleep.

"Hey," Link said, walking towards Jim, "How is she?"

"Don't, come _any closer_," Jim hissed, baring his teeth at the Hylian man, "Don't you dare."

Link stopped, confusedly cocking his head to the side. "Why are you so openly hostile?"

"You're a _creepy bastard_." The younger man continued, pointing an accusatory finger at Link, "I thought you were just a pretentious git at first, but now you're creepy, and downright _freaky_. I am not putting you anywhere near my Bell, do you understand?"

"I understand that you're being stubborn and somewhat charismatic but that's about it."

"You're friends with anything that's got to do with death! The Gravekeeper first, and now this freak show of ghosts! Next thing I know, _you're _the one whose dead or something!"

Link laughed. "Yeah, alright, that's fair. But I'm not dead. I just have a history, in a way."

"You think you're so cool, don't you?" he demanded hotly, clenching his fists, making Link frown, "You think you're so special with all your magic stuff, and your freaky masks and your pretty-arse _sword_. But I know people like you, perfect on the outside and completely messed up in the head. I heard you talking with that old man; you think you've met Sheik in another life, huh? You only think that because her eyes are red! Like all these other freaks!"

"I think you should take that back, Jiminy," Link snarled, "_Now_."

"She was _normal_ before this, just like me, just like everyone else _except you_. If she'd turn back, if she'd stayed the same we'd all be happy, we wouldn't have come to this place, because of you, because of her _gift_, she's not the Bell I fell in love with anymore!"

In a different time and place, Link would've punched Jim's face in. Instead, he sighed and said over Jim's shoulder, "I'm sorry we woke you."

When Jim turned back with a horror-filled gaze, Sheik had her eyes open, looking sad and hurt.

* * *

**...In your face, Jim. In. your. FACE.**

**That was actually what I was thinking (with a massive grin) while I wrote the chapter. Oh that was fun shit.**

**I should be doing my english assignment but I cannot be bothered. So yeah, here's the update! (Probably should've did this on the tope AN...)**

**Also, I decided to update this every three days. I thought it'd ben fitting. XD**

**Anyway, REVIEW REPLIES!**

**_Airian Reesu_: Yaay! Thank you so much for your praise! I love it when I'm complimented (who doesn't?), so keep it coming! **

**_Steviedude12_: I hope you liked the (sort of) epic fight! It was fun to write, so I'm glad I did it. It sort of becomes a foreshadowing of an event later on, so thank you for the prompt! I hope you keep reading and reviewing, and enjoying this as well. XD**

**_V Musicka_: Yayness! I hope scrambled eggs are good, and you enjoyed this strip of memory lane as well. XD Yeah, Wolf-Link is not to be messed with. I hope you liked the fight scene, however short it may have been.**

**_RaeyaKimani_: I literally burst out laughing at this review! This is AWESOME! That image you conjured just made my day, it was so hilarious. But yeah, Link stays human, just his instincts are heightened. I... probably won't get round to fixing that ambiguous wording, but thanks for the heads up! And yes, they sure as hell were playing around as 11 yearolds. That comes in later, so look forward to it yeah?**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Just so you know, I love you. So many reviews from one person doesn't happen often, (if at all) so thank you, so, so much for your kind words. This'll probably be my longest review(s) reply EVAH. XD  
1: Squeal! So much praise! Thank you so much, and I'm glad that you enjoy the fic! I hope this chapter was up to your expectations!  
2: Yeah, good point. Link probably would've questioned Sheik a little more before swallowing the identical twins story, but I'm a lazy writer. XD As for character development on Sheik, you're absolutely right. That comment (or something similar, maybe somebody else said it, I don't remember) actually inspired me to re-write the chapter with the Garo's send off, so Sheik get's more of a spotlight. See? Reviews like this improve the story by far! She doesn't get much spotlight here I admit, but in my defense, she's unconcscious, lol.  
3: True. But Dampe's a special case, because Link's been visiting him most out of all the people he knew through his travels. I have no idea why, now that I think deeply on it. Oops. XD  
4: Pamela will feature with more background way, WAY later, so I hope you stick around to see her earn som e good spotlight later.  
5: Your reviews just make me feel so happy. XD  
6: You guessed right! Bwahahaha! You guessed right, when I saw that I just burst out laughing. It's just so cool. As for the Fair Blade... I didn't know that. It was a two-handed weapon? Wow, you learn something new each day! I rectified that WAY later in the chapter, but I'll tell you now. A, he's wearing Bronze Gauntlets, the lesser version of the Silver/Gold Gauntlets, kinda like the Goron bracelet when Link was a kid. I decided that as soon as I saw your review. And B, he's older, lol. It's just such a pretty, pretty sword, i wanted to use it as much as I can.**

**Phew, that took a while. I applaud you if you read all that. **

**_R seigfried_: Thanks for the advice! I'll keep that in mind. As for the pocket, yes, I'm aware of that, but Link inherited the bag from the Mask Maker so he uses it and somethings, like chairs and desks, don't fit in a pouch. At least, in my world it doesn't. ;)**

**_Erendan_: I hope you enjoyed the fight scene, even if it was short. Can't wait to see whether you liked the chapter, I really hope you did!**

**_roxxiheart_: I know, right? Gosh, civilians! XD And his mouth ruining things again! Gasp! What do you think of that, hm? Think he deserved it?**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Here you go! Hope you enjoyed!**

**_Missing Triforce_: I hope you liked the fight scene! Though it was a little short. And yes, you are absilutely right on _everything_. Jim really is only trying to keep Bell the way she is, but the question is, does _Bell_ want to be Bell, or does she want to grow into Sheik? That question is answered over the story, of course, but you know what I mean. XD ...Oops. Sorry about that. I'm not quite sure how well I did the descriptions in this chapter, but if you see some slacking on my part, just pointit out and I'll be sure to fix it in the next chapter. **

**_goldenrhino_: That's... a good point. Ah, well, I'm just going to say that it was the same size as the Hylian shield, so it worked over the years just fine. XP As Jim and Pamela, I consider Pamela to be a little older than Jim, (in order, Sheik 17, Jim 19-20, Pamela 21-23) and yes, she's more mature because she had to deal with weird stuff since she was small, what with the gibdo loving father and all that. And I like that you pick out tecnicalities, it makes my writing better. Thank you so much for your help!**

**THANK YOU GUYS FOR THESE MANY REVIEWS! PLEASE GIVE ME MORE TO MAKE MY WEEKEND!**

**And to give me motivation to not fail Uni. Please?**

**p.s. I heart Igos. If you hadb't figured it out already.**


	9. Rend

_**Hello peoples!**_

_**Heya, how's it going? Just as promised, updated in three days! Lol. Um, about this being finished? I still haven't finihsed writing the final chapter, because I'm still trying to figure out a lovey-dovey ending that'll satsify me and you. It'll be fluffy, but I don't want it TOO fluffy, you know?**_

**_Or you know, I can just make it FLUFF CENTRAL. You decide._**

**_Anyway, CHAPTER NINE!_**

**_P.s., my second favourite character makes himself known in this chapter. He's a bastard. XD_**

_**

* * *

**__**9**_

**-Rend**

Jim looked like a trapped man, finding no exit in the sudden cage of words that he'd built around himself. "Bell..."

"Is that what you think?" she whispered, bottom lip trembling, "That I'm... I'm a freak?"

"No! No you're not a freak, you're Bell, you're my Bell,"

"Or I used to be," she hissed vehemently, lifting herself up, "Because I look different, right? Because I don't act like I way I used to. Well people change, _Jimmy_, and I'm no exception."

"Should I leave?" Link cut in, and Sheik glared at him. "Right. I'll be with Igos."

Link left the couple to spat all they liked, feeling a little empty. Yes, he'd sort of wanted Jim out of the picture, but he didn't want Sheik _hurt_. And that comment about her eyes was a particularly low blow. He loved those eyes. So very, very much.

But would he have cared so much about this Sheik if she had hazel eyes? Would he remember her so vividly? Link suddenly felt like a hypocrite, even when he hadn't said anything. He loved her for her kind nature, that honest personality, didn't he? He'd loved the Sheik from the war because she'd been there for him, as often as she could it seemed, giving him a warm shoulder to doze against, without the worry of being attacked in his sleep, or even by his dreams.

This was why he had been so reluctant to meet her in the first place. His memories alone, despite their pain, were straightforward in their depiction of the Sheik he'd once known.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link was explaining the properties of the Mask of Remembrance to Igos when the teenagers joined them, but Link pretended not to notice their presence and continued on, "So, to make this work for you, I somehow need to change the engraving in the Third Eye, and recoat this with something that means some sort of regret. Blood would make it more effective, but since the whole Ikana population is deceased, I'll be substituting with-"

"Except me."

Everybody looked at Sheik with varying degrees of surprise. The skeletons looked at her eyes and Igos gave a nod. When he turned to Link his tone was approving. "They're just like you said, my friend."

"Igos, now is not the time." Link reprimanded distractedly as Sheik looked at Igos with some suspicion. "Sheik, what do you mean by that?"

"And it may be less than a mosquito-bite's worth, but I have Ikana blood in me. Use it."

"But," Jim nervously tried to touch her, but rubbed his arm instead. "But you don't even know what they're using it for, or how much they need,"

"I don't care. I don't care anymore," She glared at Jim and tears brimmed on her lashes, "I am helping and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Link looked away. "I'm not taking your blood, Sheik."

She glared. "Why not?"

Igos looked disappointed too. "Yeah, why?"

"Because you're only doing it out of spite." He said reasonably, "You don't know what it's being used for. I could be hurting the raiders outside with your blood, for all you know. Besides," he added with a shrug, "You're here to hone your gift, aren't you?"

"But isn't helping you part of my gift?" Sheik demanded, striking a cord in Link's heart, "I'm the one who's having these dreams here, and _I'm_ the one who's saying _I want to help_."

"You're helping enough by seeing whatever disaster's coming, Sheik," Link soothed, "I'm not about to ask more from you by taking your blood. There's a guy here who remembers his days as a scholar. He'll be helping you with the translations and the interpretations. We're looking for someone who might've worked with a Shaman in the old days right now, so see how it goes."

Then he glared at Jim, still wanting to tear a scar across his face. "You going to help her, Jimmy-boy?"

His sullen and sad face twisted with annoyance. "Don't call me _Jimmy-boy_."

Link smirked. "Good to hear. Now go on, have a look at those scrolls; I'm doing my actual job here, so have fun doing your own."

The two nearly-adults reluctantly walked away, led by a rather preppy gibdo.

Igos looked at Link and sighed once the two of them were gone. "You just blew it."

Link pretended not to understand as he looked away. "So, when is my stuff coming?"

"You bleeeew it boy."

"Yes I know." Link snapped irritably, "I said the wrong thing, I may have encouraged them to get back together, so on and so forth. Now when is my case coming?"

"Your case of equipment is being delivered as we speak. But that's not what I meant by me saying you blew it. You blew it by letting her go."

Link looked genuinely confused as he turned on the king. "Eh?"

"She was offering you her blood! Who does that these days anyway? That was your chance! Or have you never heard of a _rebound_?"

"I don't want a _rebound_, Igos," the one living individual in the room sighed as a murder of guays brought his trunk of tools, "I don't even know what I want."

Igos thumbed over his shoulder and indicated an eye-roll by jiggling his head just so. "I think you want that rose-eyed lady that you _allowed_ to leave with that snot-nosed little prick."

The mask-maker opened his trunk, the insides unfurling like a metal flower, and he picked out a magnifying glass and set it on top of his mask. "He's hardly snot-nosed. Jim's something like, nineteen, twenty years old. That makes him an adult."

Igos scooted over to watch the work over the live man's shoulder. "And that makes that girl interested in older men."

Concentrating on the lines that made up the iris of the third eye, which in turn was made up of a multitude of tiny symbols, and Link looked for the appropriate marks to erase, replace, or alter. "Two years is hardly different."

"And seven is?"

"Oh my _God_, Igos!" Link yelled exasperatedly as he grabbed a needle-sharp pin and angled it at one of Igos' eye sockets. "What part of _she is out of my league_ do you not _get_?"

"In my defence," the king pointed out as he pushed the pin away from his skull, "You didn't say that out loud till just then."

"In that case, I will inform you now that she is. Before you ask why," the blond concentrated again on the mask, finding the symbol for _fact_ and, gripping a bit of sandpaper in a pair of super-small tweezers, began to erase it. "It's because she's too young for me. She probably has other boys looking out for her anyway."

"You know," Igos whispered conspiratorially, "When you're ninety-seven, she's ninety. That's not a bad catch."

"That's convincing. Really."

Link suddenly missed Navi. She may have been nicknamed The Epitome of Annoying, but Igos had damn-well _invented_ it.

-,-'-,-'-,-

"Alright," Link wiped his brow and handed the mask back again. "See if it works this time."

The redead silently put it on, and gave it back shaking its head. The Hylian gave a loud frustrated growl as he snatched it, glaring at the semi-cursed thing.

"Why aren't you _working_?" Link spat at it, shaking it for good measure,

"Maybe it's because we're dead," Igos commented, "Or because we can't _remember_ our regrets, as I put it before."

"But the lines of the runes should _make _you remember it." Link glared at it, and wishing he had a better way of checking its deficiency, put it on. Pain lanced his temples...

_He was floating in the sky with Zelda, and she'd just told him that he could return to the past if he wanted to. "...Will I remember this?" _

In a place black as night Sheik turns around.

"_If you want to forget, I can help that happen."_

"_No." Link's tone was firm. "I want to remember. I want to remember Sheik, too." _

He walks towards her and she lifts her hand up, pulling her cowl down to smile at him.

_She hesitated, looked at him, and sighed. "She revealed herself to you, did she?"_

_Link nodded, slowly, swallowing air to dam back his tears. "In a way. What _was_ she?"_

She's screaming without a voice as she's brought to her knees.

_She bit her lip and seemed to think about it. "A memory, a dismembered soul, a dying girl, so many things, and yet she was hardly anything at all."_

_He frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."_

She's ripped in two, one body and a ghost, a soul ripped from its container, the body looking alarmingly like Zelda while the other looked like a stranger.

"_That's because her _existence_ didn't make any sense."_

"_...Can you tell me where I can find her in the past?"_

Both in agony, dying, Link instinctively catches the fallen body and panics.

"_...I don't know."_

_Link couldn't help but smile. "Thought as much. It's alright, I'll find her on my own. I'd like to go to the past, now, please."_

Which is Sheik, which is the real Sheik? He can't save them both, he has to choose, but he doesn't know, doesn't understand what's going on.

_When Link opened his eyes next he was ten again, the Master sword far too big for him to use, and he could hear the crowds from the market place, singing and dancing and selling._

"_So..." Navi said, fluttering her wings, "I guess this is goodbye."_

_Link sharply turned on her, horror on his face. "What? Why? Don't you... but I thought..."_

The body turns to dust as if time speeded a hundred-fold, and all there's left now is the ghost, and it too is dying as fast as the dusk.

"_Oh don't be silly, Link, of course I still love you, you're like my huge tiny brother." She flew into his cheek and made him blush, as his skin tingled from the fairy kiss. "But Link, whenever you met up with Sheik you got so goo-goo that I could hardly put a word in. You really don't need a third wheel. I'll keep your house back in the Kokiri forest ready for you. When you bring Sheik back. You don't want any other half-twat living there, do you? I'll probably have to make the tree grow so you can fit in it when you grow up."_

"_You won't... you won't disappear on me, would you?"_

Sheik disappearing, curling into black nothing like a leaf on a flame.

'_Nope, no, no way, not happening." Navi spoke smugly, "Cuz I'm annoying that way."_

_Link laughed, a little reassured. "Alright. Okay. Even if I don't find her in the first few weeks I'll come visit, and I'll tell you all about the monsters I beat _without_ you yapping in my ear."_

Link desperately reaches for her but she's gone and the ashes coat his fingers.

"_Ha! I'll be counting the scars when you come back, greeney-boy, because you sure won't come back unscathed, no thanks to _me_."_

"_Whatever, blue-ball," Link grinned, "I'll show you."_

He screams as the ashes burn him and he can't wipe it off because it's Sheik, the last remnants of Sheik, but it hurts, it hurts, gods be damned it hurts.

"_I look forward to it!" Navi whooped and sailed out the high windows of the Temple of Time, and then there was no sign of her. Link sighed, and exited the Temple, saluting the Master Sword as he left, hope a light in his chest._

He shakes it off, because he has to, and then from the blood that wells from his hands he sees her eyes and a maw with sharp teeth opens in his palms and it hisses like the gates of hell,

"_W_**h**_y_ d_i_**d** _y_o_u_ **l**_e_t _m_**e** _**D**_**I**_**E**_?_**"**_

... and Link screamed and ripped the mask away, letting it clatter on the floor. He gasped as the dead around him faltered and looked at each other, wondering what was wrong and how it had been triggered.

The mask was looking back at him, jeeringly, Link could tell. And that just _pissed him off_.

He wiped his face of sweat, cursing. "Screw this. I'm erasing the whole thing and starting over. The magic's already in it, all I have to do is restrict it, bind it, influence it to do what I want it to. Or else I'm burning the damned thing, since I'd be out of ingredients."

Link stood, glaring at the mask like a mortal enemy. "Igos, I need an empty room. Preferably with lots of sunshine. I'll be doing this at night, and as long as there aren't any clouds I should be able to finish this tonight. And... wait a minute. My case was _in_ my bag. Right?"

Igos shrugged and looked at an attendant gibdo. "Was it?"

It groaned. Igos turned to Link and said, "Yes it was in your bag."

"So what, you brought my whole heavy stinking bag here?"

"Yep. Some other stuff too. I thought, hey, we're invading our enemies for some supplies, why are we doing a half-assed job? So we set our guays and other creatures loose and let them go on a rampage. I'm pretty sure we stole quite a bit of the raiders' food as well, so help yourself, alright? No, better yet, we'll set it up all nice for you, like a banquet! I haven't had a proper banquet in years, and I'm sure the subjects are keen for a fun night."

Link wondered whether the attack on the raiders would dissuade them from invading the castle, considering the Garo incident, but Link decided to worry about it later as something more pressing like a _feast full of pirouetting zombies_ came to mind. "I'll be working."

"Then we'll treat the youngsters! Seriously, I haven't seen so much as a frightened gasp from that girl. She's made of tough stuff, that one."

Link gave both a sigh of relief and a groan of exasperation at the same time. "Probably because her nightmares are a whole lot worse than you."

Igos laughed and wiped his palms together, as if relishing the challenge. "We'll see about that, my friend, we'll see about that."

"Where are those two anyway?" Link wondered out loud, looking for the exit they'd used curiously, and a little nervously, "Since I'm not fiddling with that mask I might as well help them out, useless though I'll be."

"Alliabu will lead you." Igos said, indicating a gibdo.

Link decided not to ask how the Skeleton king could tell the corpses apart.

-,-'-,-'-,-

When Link joined them they were looking at some scrolls that were falling apart, bit by dusty, musty, crusty bit, and they were struggling to get any of the zombies to talk, since whatever they had left of their tongues were completely dried and useless. Link sighed as he saw Sheik, confirming that yes, she was still healthy, alive, and wasn't about to be ripped in two in worse ways than what he'd just envisioned. She was trying to communicate with a zombie while Jim was trying to read through a text he probably couldn't read.

Link dropped his pack and rummaged through it, pulling out an old mouth-guard that he'd picked off a cursed suit of armour. On it was etched a single rune, and it was one of his earliest successes in his mask-making business.

"Hey guys," Link greeted as he walked towards them, "How are you doing?"

"Not good," Sheik said, turning away from the apologetic redead, "The later text is old Terminian, the Ikanish is impossible and the older stuff is worse. And I'm playing a sick game of twenty questions with this guy, and I think we're both tired of it."

"I did Old Terminian at school," Jim muttered, glaring at the papyrus, "So this isn't bad..."

The row the two had must've crippled him, and he was shaking, the poor boy, nervously eyeing the dead that handed him scrolls and walking around limply. Link felt sorry enough for him that he contemplated patting the boy's shoulder, but didn't think Jim's pride would take the blow too kindly.

Link stepped next to Sheik and handed the mouth-guard he was holding to the redead she was trying to communicate with. Sheik looked at him. "What's that?"

Link tapped his lips in a gesture of silence as the redead, after being indicated to wear it, put the mask on. "So," Link asked it, "What's your name?"

"Oh come on, this is just silly now, it's not like you can..." The redead paused, tapped the mouth-guard, and said in that hollow, far away voice, "Oh."

The Hylian grinned as the Terminian girl gaped. "Oh indeed."

"I... I can speak."

"Yep."

The redead patted the mouth-guard again in wonder. "Without a tongue."

Link nodded and repeated, "Yep."

"How... how is he _doing_ that?"

The Hylian couldn't help but feel pleased at Sheik's excited tone. "The rune on the guard is the symbol of speech, mind, and sound, layered on top of each other. Basically channels what he wants to say into sound and lets it out. How's it going?"

"I haven't... I haven't heard my voice in years..." The redead's 'voice' was hollow in sound but was brimming in emotion. Though his movements were slow and twitchy, the voice exuded enthusiasm and wonder. "How, how is it? My voice, how does it sound?"

Sheik grinned at him and said, "Nice. Fairly old, professional, well educated. Male. I can imagine you with spectacles, and greying hair. I hope I didn't offend you before."

"Oh no, young lady, no offence was made! I'm truly thankful that you tried, and the way..."

Link let them talk, glancing back at Jim. He looked betrayed, like he couldn't understand why Sheik could be so at ease in this living nightmare, in this bizarre world where life and death held no meaning, no power, where his common sense lay twitching on the floor, frenzied with dread.

"Now," the redead huffed, "My name is Bon-"

Link turned back on the conversation, heart lurching. "_What_?"

"Er..." the redead paused uncertainly, "Bondlo."

"Oh." Link sighed in relief. For a second there, he'd thought the redead was going to say _Bongo_. That would've been lovely for his paranoia-levels, sarcasm heavily implied. "Sorry, Professor Bondlo, for interrupting. You were saying...?"

The redead almost seemed to preen under his restored title. "Well, I grant that you wish to examine these texts but I have some assistants among us who will be happy to translate it into your language in writing. If they find anything that'll be constructive for you, of course."

Link nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

The redead nodded back and lifted a rotting finger. "Also, I wish to present you the quarters the Sheikah utilised to perform their rituals. They say the walls are carved with all sorts of chants and whatnots that you'll be interested in, and I'll be honoured to be your orator."

"Awesome." Link clapped his hands together and rubbed them appreciatively. "Well, Sheik, and Jim of course, come on!"

-,-'-,-'-,-

They were led into a chamber behind Igos' original throne room, where Link had fought them for the Elegy of Emptiness, the creepiest song of all time (in Link's opinion). Bondlo the Redead Professor kindly translated the meanings of the paintings depicted on the walls, one of which was the story of how Nayru had given the Sheikah their gift, how Din had marked them, and how Furore had jealously made it difficult to interpret the visions.

Link silently looked up and cocked an eyebrow at his patron goddess.

There were other depictions too, of famous visions that'd been prevented, of things that had happened but hadn't been envisioned, and there was one very large part of the wall that'd been dedicated to a very far away prophecy at the time.

In one giant eye Odolwa, Ghot, Gyorg, and Twin Mold were depicted in the iris area, and Majora's Mask sat right in the centre of the pupil, glaring with large mad eyes.

"It is said," Bondlo uttered solemnly, "That this was drawn by the very Sheik that Saw the vision, naming it the Three Days of Calamity. It took him the same amount of days without sleep to finish it, and he died without the burden of watching it come to fruit in his lifetime."

Link's heart hammered, and he forced it to still. The other pictures had been so simple, but this, _this_, the detail of Majora freaked him out like nothing else; it was so meticulous he could imagine it melting out of the wall, coming back to frenzied laughing life, throwing its tentacles around to stab him and everyone else in the room.

"But this isn't where they gathered, is it," Sheik murmured, stepping forward to brush her fingertips against Majora, "This was just where they put their visions, to leave behind to help if it ever came true, to leave clues to set it on its track or unmake it."

Jim held her back by holding her shoulder. "I don't think you should touch that..."

"For once I agree," Link swallowed and coughed as Sheik slapped him off. "That is Bad Stuff, right there. Bondlo, where's the place where the Sheikah gathered?"

"The door's there, and might I say what an _honour_ it is, sir, to be with you on this historical moment. Why, this may be my regret, this may be the day when I'm satisfied with my life and venture to the next world!"

Link looked back at the lively redead as they walked and replied, "Eh?"

"The door's been the biggest mystery of this castle, sir, with no hinges or handle to allow it to open, just one large keyhole that fits no key, unless it's a particularly large one..."

"So..." the Hylian groaned, "You're telling me that _I'm _going to have to open it?"

"Considering your achievements as a youth, sir, I don't think it'll be such a challenge."

"...You've been collectively working to open this door for how many years?"

Bondlo happily replied, "Two thousand years, give or take a century and a bit."

"Right," Link sighed and looked around. "Is that it?"

It really didn't look like a door, thanks to the fact that it was covered in lines in all twists, shapes and sizes. There was an oval indent where the knob and keyhole should have been, a single, vertical crack slicing it in half.

Link told everybody to stand back as he crouched in front of the indent, scraping it with his fingernail. It looked a little... knobbly. Like a face. There seemed to be some sort of clasp round it to hold something secure, like... a ma-

As soon as he thought it the tattoo round his eye flared in terrible pain, and as he cried out and fell backwards the satchel he kept with him ripped in two, the Fierce Deity's Mask triumphantly banging into the indentation, making the lines across the doors glow and shine in patterns that could only be described as arcane letters.

Bondlo looked at the emerging letters and exclaimed, "This... this is impossible!"

"What do you mean?" Sheik's eyes never left the glowing calligraphy, completely entranced by it. "What is that?"

"The lost language of Kings. This is the oldest words recorded in our history, the foundations of our language, invented by the first King and Warlock of Ikana. It is said these very runes had the power to burn kingdoms, raise up islands, control the movement of the stars!"

"And what," Jim demanded, a clear show to hide his fear, "Does _that_ say?"

Bondlo hesitated and intoned with some disappointment, "_Hey there hopper-boy_."

Link had feared it would be something like that.

* * *

**Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuun!**

**If people watch Doctor Who, you know I totally ripped off the last bit off them. But it was such an awesome scene I had to use it. Forgive me?**

**And guess what? SEMBLENCE OF LINK/SHEIK IN NEXT CHAPTER! Excited? **

**So, yeah, review replies! **

**_Erendan_: Yeah, Jim, you're too normal! Accept Sheik for who she is! But in his defence though, Link is, like, the Hero that she's loved since she was little. He's just feeling a little territorial, you know? Ahaha, it might be two and a half, I'm not so sure. I hope this update came early enough for you! XD**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Wow long revew! Yaaaaay! XD Oh, shoot, TYPOS? I've looked these chapter over, like, more than ten/twenty times, and there're STILL Typos? What are they NINJAS? Grumble... Thanks for mentioning them, though. :) I added more Sheik in this chapter too, so I hope that deepened her a little more. I actually rewrote later chapters in her point of view, to see how she feels about things and I kinda got sick of Link moping. lol. Isn't Igos awesome? That's the kind of old person i want to be. Only I'm a girl. Cough... Yeah, Jim's pretty freaked out by now. But the tides may turn within the next chapter... And thank you, thank you, SO MUCH for your praise. I will work had to keep you all happy. ;)**

**_K-shee_: I'm getting a lot of that. XD Go Link for the world! I do! I love funny old men! I wanna _be_ one when I end up that age. Only I'm a girl. Ahem... ;) I know, I wish I had the skills to do that, but I'm just going to hope for someone who likes this fic enough to draw it for me. XD I hope your tummy is all full of happiness when you've finished reading this. :D**

**_Airrian Reesu_: Igos seems to be a popular character, whoot! And thanks for the comments on the fight scenes. I hate it when the action seems slow because of it, you know, the writing. It has to go _bam-bam-bam_ in my mind, and I'm happy that it seems to be working. **

**_V musicka_: I KNOW, right? Poor Sheik!There'll be more beastliness from Link in the next chapter, so I hope you like! And the Link Sheik is coming! Next! XD**

**_Steviedude12_: Yeah, that code in the game was really, really annoying eh. And they're so damn _fast_ at running away! Without corner to back them into I was screwed. There'll be more epic fighting in the next chapter, so I hope you stick along!**

**_This1voice_: OMG an English teacher! Woot! I hope you're recovering alright, and I'm glad I was able to entertain you then. XD And yes, Epitome is a guilty favourite of mine. I used it a lot in this chapter originally, but I deleted them so it wouldn't get old. Thank you for warning me. And thank you, thank you so very much for your praise! It's nice having someone you know is, like, a professional when it comes to English. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, as well the characterisation. Your review totally made my day. **

**_goldenrhino_: I love weird people! XD And I thought, hey, they've been living for ges, why _haven't_ they cracked? Yeah, as for his trauma, he's too scared to start screaming at the zombies so he's taking it out on Link, who he's pretty sure won't kill him for being alive and normal and stuff. But I wrote more of his trauma on this chapter to emphasise it. Thanks for mentioning it!**

**_Missing Triforce_: Niiiiice! XD Yay, good to know! I actually added stuff to the last chapter, and thanks to that I was really happy with the result! Thank you for your suggestion! As for Jim, you're absolutely right. I had to change him over the chapters because he just came across as a jackass because Link's so cool and Sheik's having such a hard time. But he won't cry because he thinks he's too macho to cry. But yeah, good to know I'm keeping him in character! Thank you so very much!**

**_darkwolflink_: Here it is! Here it is! Here it is! And there's an epic fight scene next!**

**_Dark Lord Link_: More epicness next! LINK FIGHTS SHADOW BEASTS!**

**Wooooooow, again, a lot of reviews! Thank you guys! I hope too see you guys again!**


	10. Rage

**Hey guys! Sorry the update was slightly late. In my defence, I was completely and utterly ready to update this. Seriously, I had all the review replies written, and the usual things. I ven pressed the save button at the bottom of the documents! But you know what happened next?**

**_Please Log in_.**

**Cue screaming 'no' at the sky.**

**And that was just one of the few progressions of bad stuff happening that day, so I gave up, went to bed, and here I am now doing everything all over again.**

**So, anyway, now that it's going up, I will inform you all that:**

**This chapter contains a snarky god, epic fight, a semblence of romance, and emotional strain for the charatcers, as per usual. Yes, I am evil. XD**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_**10**_

- Rage

"Hey there Oni," Link muttered back, holding his palm firmly against his tattooed skin, "If you just made me bleed, I won't be happy."

The white mask seemed to glow in response to his voice, and the carved lips seemed to smile, the attached fringe waver. The red 'v' carved on his forehead seemed to represent the smug, challenging eyebrows, as the eye-sockets darkened with power, framed by the blue slashes that mirrored Link's tattoo.

The letters on the door changed in reply. Bondlo stared at it in awe, and it took a reminder from all living persons to get him to translate it. "Don't sweat it, I'm only here to help."

Link snorted and glared at the mask. "Yeah, right. You going to open this for us then?"

A multitude of letters flared up in reply, and Bondlo sunk to his knees with the slow intensity that only a zombie could accomplish. "Dear Lords and Ladies above..."

"What does it say?" Jim asked again, frustrated that he couldn't read it.

"It... it says..." Bondlo made a sound like a gasp, and murmured, "It says that as a God, the one speaking to us deserves more respect."

"We're talking to a God?" Sheik incredulously repeated, and then shook her head. "No, wait a minute, a _God _is speaking to _us_? Through a _mask_?"

"He's not trapped in there, if that's what you're thinking," Link explained, wincing as he collected his fallen masks with one hand, "He's using it as a medium to communicate with us, like an oracle."

Sheik snorted. "Well, I have to say a mask has more personality than a bottomless pit."

The words changed, and the symbols were obviously repetitive. Link grinned. "Even I can tell that he's laughing."

Another change of words, and there was an incredulous pause on Bondlo's side. "The one speaking to us informs me that he 'digs the runt's spunk', though I'm afraid I'm not so familiar with that type of slang. And he wishes to be introduced."

Link sighed, released his tattooed eye and seeing no blood on his hand, stood, stepped aside so the others could see the mask, and introduced them. "Jim of Termina, Sheik of the Sheikah, Professor Bondlo of Ikana, the one we're talking to is known as the Fierce Deity, the son of the Triad, patron God of confusion and rebellion. His name is Oni, at least to his favourites."

Bondlo didn't take his hollow eyes from the doors. "He wishes to be called the Great One by us lesser mortals."

"_Lesser_?" Jim repeated in outrage, glaring at Link, "What makes us _lesser_ than you?"

"According to the Great One," Bondlo read the text further before saying, "It is because, in more eloquent terms, if you would pardon me for saying so, Great One, Link has done much work to please the God."

Link shrugged. "I'm just unlucky that way."

"We're going off topic." Sheik said frankly, eyeing the mask suspiciously, "What do we have to do to open this door?"

The God smirked.

There was a _bang_ and the doors were open and roaring tentacles snapped passed Link and a shriek that sent fear piercing through his heart came from her, and crying out her name Link reached out, grabbing the dark feelers that held her and both of them plunged into the chamber beyond, the doors slamming closed behind them.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link winced as he opened his eyes, bruises and cuts making themselves known. He didn't remember how he'd gotten there. He didn't remember _what_ he was doing. Although, as his senses wryly pointed out the sword and shield on his back, maybe it was to fight something. As per usual. Goddesses, he needed to find another job...

Not that he was good at anything else.

He looked around, squinting in the twilight, and he thanked his stars that he seemed to be relatively alive despite the fact that he'd been unconscious in a Temple-dungeon-place. To the side, a bone white treasure-chest beckoned to be opened. Lights glowed and pulsed in arcane patterns across the grey-black walls, like bars of sharp moonlight, only they were green like diluted poison.

Yeah, this was new.

He smelt the ashes of a defeated foe. It must've been a tough one; or else he wouldn't have collapsed of... what? Exhaustion? Pain? Well, he was used to this, but the memory-loss was disturbing at best. Link forced himself to his feet, and looked around the square room, and wondered, where was he supposed to go now?

There were two doors, or what _looked _like doors, so he checked them. The first one opened to a nondescript corridor lit by braziers of blue fire. The other one looked like a foyer, and seeing the open treasure-chest in the distance, Link went through the first door.

The end of the passage was blocked by a web of chains, held together by the biggest padlock he'd ever seen. He pulled out the key he'd gotten from the white treasure chest and the lock clattered to the floor, the chains swinging aside like a curtain. The wall lifted at his touch.

His heart froze. He remembered now. Someone in a village had mentioned a girl, a girl who could fight, wore a royal blue battle-suit with a white tabard that had a crying eye painted on it. He'd found a portal and ended up in this land of half-light, and he remembered, he remembered because she was there, right there, looking horrifyingly dead against the far wall till she lifted her head, and his blue eyes met with her red one.

The cowl shifted, revealing lips, and a pained name escaped her. "Link..."

Sheik. _Sheik_. He'd found her!

But the relief and joy died as he saw the blood that spilled from her mouth, the binds that looked too slick to be rope that held her wrists to the ground, the scorch marks on her suit.

Sheik was hurt. He panicked and surged forward, skidded to her side to set her free. "Yeah, it's me, I've come to get you, everything'll be alright, just, hold still..."

The words that'd scared him most in the lost seven years broke through her lips again: "_Run_."

A shadow was falling on her. Link yelled and cut the bonds that held her and lunged, skidding on the stone floor, holding her tightly to protect her from further harm. He heard three thuds. He scrambled to get in front of her and gaped at the monsters in front of him.

They were just barely humanoid, with arms and legs and a torso, but they crawled on their fours and the digits on their forehands were wrong. They were big as two horses and hardly fit in the room; they had muscle to kill five in a blow, and their bodies glistened black oily rainbows over riveted trenches of runes and characters. They growled without mouths, saw without eyes, sniffed without noses; instead of heads they had runic stone tablets as big as shields, lined with waspish black feelers.

Just like the ones that'd chained Sheik to the wall.

Rage filled him as he unsheathed the Gilded Sword. "Did they do this to you?"

Her voice was weak and hurt as she said, "Link, I-"

"Stupid question, sorry," he replied cheerfully without listening, grabbing the mirror shield as well, "My head got knocked a little before, don't mind me. Once I finish them in record time, we're going to have a long talk, you and I. We've got some catching up to do."

"Wait, no..."

Link hurled himself forward, bashing the shield against monster number 1 to get past it and slash number 2 in the gut, making it roar and writhe in agony. Number 3 swiped a paw and he barely dodged, cutting off its hand and earning himself another roar of pain. He grinned.

Pain bashed him in the spine. He flew forward and smacked against the floor. He groaned, dizzily. A shadow loomed above him as MN1 raised a forehand to crush his skull.

He rolled and raised his sword snarling. The thing pierced its paw on the golden blade and it keened, shaking a laugh onto his face.

He wrenched the blade away, tearing the limb to pieces and stabbed up and through the thing's chest, throwing it to the side to get it off the sword, and he faced the last one standing with a smirk, as MN2 had died from the massive cut he'd sliced into its stomach, gore gushing onto the dungeon floor. Blood gleamed bright on his sword and shield.

MN3 limped on its remaining three limbs, lifted its head, and _roared_.

Link cried out, dropping his weapon and jamming his hands against his ears to block out the cacophony of tearing metal and grinding glass and thundering screams of children, the sound shaking him to the very foundation of his existence.

His instinct screamed. Link rolled forward and grabbed his sword on the way, raising his shield to protect himself. He saw the monsters' wounds smoke and heal, lost limbs and flesh replenish, and he grinned almost manically at the challenge that they posed.

"_Awesome_."

Link backed into a corner so that their massive bodies couldn't reach him if they attacked in a group. Bumping into each other the monsters squabbled for the first kill as Link thought about their strange mortality. It didn't take long to figure out. "Oi! Stone heads!"

The monsters turned on him and he sneered, lifting his shield to present a target. "Scared?"

One was faster than the other two, and Link ducked and slid on the floor, throwing the shield up, the beast catapulting straight into it, and into the stone wall with enough concussive force to destroy the shield and make the wall crack. He thrust his blade straight up through its neck, and the blood spurted all over him, hot and acrid.

Link gritted his teeth and kicked the dying body away, running from his corner to face the last two. He butchered off one back leg off one beast and took out the front two of the other. Fairly immobilised Link stood between them and, snarling with the fierce delight of a predator defeating its prey, unleashed the spin attack, fracturing their tablet heads, and scorching a massive trench through their flesh.

They burst into fragments of smoke, and withered away.

Link licked his lips, spat out their blood, and laughed. "Now _that,_ was _fun_."

With great satisfaction he ruffled his hair, making the black gore fly from his blond strands. But his hand shook so much that the blade escaped his grip, clattering to the floor, and his heart raced with adrenalin and excitement and _dread_, as he gazed at his blood-stained hands.

He looked at Sheik who looked terrified of him, and laughed weakly. "I know. I know I enjoy this way too much. _Way_ too much, I know. I, I can't be a hero, not anymore, I don't... I don't know how long I can last before I hurt somebody, hurt... hurt _you_..."

He staggered towards her, dropped to his knees, holding her so very tenderly with his shaking body, sobs escaping his clenched teeth. "I missed you. I missed you so much..."

"Link. I'm not..."

He let her go, smoothed her hair away from her face, careful not to smear blood on her as he tucked it behind her ear. "Yeah?"

"It's..." her face twisted with difficulty, and finally she forced out the words, "Illusion..."

"What?"

"F-Fierce... Deit-" she coughed and pressed her hand against his left eye, and said, "You called him Oni..."

He frowned, because when she obstructed his left eye he could see things that weren't really there, a lighter room, with mud bricks, sunshine breaking through glassless windows...

It all came back. Ikana. Sheik. The Fierce Deity. _That door_!

Link dropped his head against her shoulder and gave a shuddering sigh. "Oni," he murmured, anger and humiliation colouring his tone, "If it's the last thing I do, I am going to _kill you_!"

"It'd be fun to see you try," a deep sneering voice echoed in his head, and Link forced himself to let Sheik go, pain wrenching his heart apart. He refused to speak out loud. He already looked like a delusional psychopath to her anyway, he wasn't going to add crazy lunatic to the list.

"Link, it's alright," Sheik said, as the room became more in focus. As her clothes changed, her manner becoming less like a defeated warrior's and more like a frightened child's. "I, he made me see what you saw. The dungeon and those creatures..."

Link's bark of laughter was mirthless. "And you saw the side of me I wanted to bury. _Wonderful_. Not even-" he bit his tongue, turning away. Not even the Sheik back then had seen him fight. He'd never wanted her to see the side of him that enjoyed the carnage, relished in the bloodshed. It had scared Navi, hell, it had scared _him_. Angrily he picked up his sword and discarded shield, disgusted with himself and with the Fierce Deity. He talked at the brick room, glaring round at the bare space that looked like any part of the Ikana castle. "You've had your fun Oni, let us out."

"Just one more thing to help you along."

_Get out of my head__!_

"Stop whining, kiddo, she can hear me too." The light bent and a muscled figure emerged from it, clad in tarnished silver armour over a white tunic, black leggings and grey boots, the stoic but mischievous face grinning in its decorative red and blue tattoos. The eyes had no iris or pupil. His teeth were sharp like a dog's. "How'd you find the visit to the good old days?"

Link snarled resentfully. "Tiring. Now let us out."

The God wagged his finger at the ex-hero. "_After_ you greet your desire the way you _want_."

Link stopped himself from glancing at Sheik and said, "_Furore_ is my patron. I don't have to listen to you."

Oni rolled his eyes and snorted. "You enjoy the challenges I give you, and I'm doing you a favour. It's not like you have a choice, anyway. I'm not letting you out till you give me a show. Or, until my new oracle figures out the meaning of her dreams."

Both mortals exclaimed at the same time, "_What_?"

Oni laughed. "Mortals. So cute."

"What did you to her!" Link demanded hotly, almost growling in the back of his throat, making the God laugh again, "Oni, if this one of your stupid games, I _swear-_"

"Calm _down_, hopper-boy," the deity nudged the man's forehead playfully before materialising beside the girl, carelessly wrapping an arm round her shoulders, "She asked for it. Though I gotta say she doesn't seem to remember too well..."

It took all his self-control not to stab the god in the chest as Oni nuzzled Sheik's hair and pressed a kiss against her temple. "Whatever she did to insult you, I think she can rectify it now that she knows you actually _exist_, slasher-face."

"Hypocrite," the god jeered, tapping his left eye meaningfully, still holding the girl close to his body, "And didn't I just say it? She _asked_ for it. Literally. I think you can guess in what time, hopper-boy."

"_What_ time?" Sheik demanded, looking at Oni and Link and back at the God again, "I don't understand, what are you two _talking_ about?"

"Just the good old days," Link sarcastically responded, "When I was still a mercenary."

"And what has that got to do with _me_?"

The Fierce Deity chuckled and held her closer, pressing her against his chest, stretching Link's patience. "Did you really think Nayru would give you this kind of gift? Knowing the future goes against her Laws. The only part of the legend that's correct is how Din marked your eyes to set you apart. _I_ was the one that birthed you Sheikah, and _she_ was the one who jealously made it hard to interpret your visions, not Furore. My green mother gave you the land to call your home, which, the folk of Ikana took over at my word."

"Um..." she blushed as his arms curled round her waist, pulling her shirt up a little to reveal skin, the other hand stroking through her hair. "What are you...?"

"Making somebody else jealous with my gift, that's all," he murmured against her neck, tilting her jaw his way, smirking as his breath ghosted over her lips, "Ever wondered what it's like, kissing a god...?"

A wall of green metal and black gold separated them, and Link glared at the Fierce Deity with a hatred that could burn a thousand worlds. "_Let. Her. Go_!"

Oni smirked. "Ooh, tough guy. Finally, some fire out of you."

Link yelled as a spark of pain made him let go of the sword and Sheik yelped into his chest, pushed by the God. Link clutched her to himself, glaring at Oni. The immortal laughed and began to disappear, eyeing the girl meaningfully. "Oh, by the way, girl, you should ask my favourite fighter about the illusions. After all, warriors don't exist without _reason_."

He disappeared, and a door materialised on one of the walls, bars firmly closing it. The two looked at each other, realised they were embracing, and stepped apart.

An awkward silence followed.

"Um..." Sheik hesitated before asking, "What did... the Great One mean by that?"

Link snorted. He determinedly didn't look at her, marching straight for the door once he picked up the fairy blade and sheathed it. "Nothing. Forget it. We should figure out your dreams and get out of here. You're going to have to tell me what they're about now."

"But what he said, the thing that you had to do seems... a whole lot easier."

"_Greet my desire the way I wish_." Link reiterated, sarcastically. "_Not_ going to happen."

She slipped in front of him, barring the door, glaring. The Hylian looked aside, unable to meet her eyes. "It's got to do with that illusion, right? He made me look like somebody I wasn't, didn't he."

He breathed in and out, slowly. "You didn't see what you looked like?"

"It's not like I had a mirror. I could tell I was wearing... something else, but, that's it."

"Right." Link tried desperately to think of a story he could spin to get her off his back, "I mean, you're right, but... I didn't name you in the illusion, did I."

"I... no, you didn't."

Relief washed over him, making him relax somewhat. "You looked like an old friend of mine. My friend had gone missing, and I found you, you looked badly hurt, and I wanted you safe. I defeated them, and I said what I had to say. I've already done what he asked me, now it's-"

She glared fiercely. "You're lying."

Oh, _great_. "_Damn it_, Sheik, I greeted 'my desire' then, or did you not hear me? _I miss you._"

"He said that you needed to greet your desire _after_ the illusion, which means you didn't do it right there and then. And since I'm the only one here... I, I couldn't believe it when Jim said this, I thought he was being stupid but..." dread filled him like poison as she looked down to take a breath, a blush colouring her cheeks as she met his gaze, "Is that desire, _me_?"

His cheeks burned, admitting to it more effectively than he could ever deny it. He bit his lip and looked away, took a breath, and defended himself. "It's not what you think."

"So you..."

"It's complicated!" Link snapped, making her jump, "You... you're the spitting image of her. Yes there're some differences," he gestured vaguely at her face, letting her assume that he was talking about her eye-colour, "But... you're the spitting image of her. She helped me a long time ago. I couldn't help her back. I've been looking for her even before I made masks."

Say it. Say it now. It should be easy, just three words. She was you. I loved her. _I love you._

Link swallowed dry spit and admitted, looking at her in a way that he'd wished he had in the lost seven years, "I miss her."

"Then greet me like you'd want with her, then, _properly_, or we'll never get out of here." Sheik insisted stubbornly, making Link laugh.

"You're asking me to do something you're going to hate me for. We're better off discussing your dreams. Then I know what I'm up against if I ever have to fight it."

"No." She insisted, glaring at him, "I told you they're not visions, and I'm here to figure out my dreams _on my own_. Just, just do whatever you have to do."

"_Fine_." Link spat, walking into her, making her take steps backwards till she hit the door. "Fine, fine, fine. Just remember, you _asked _for this."

He grabbed her elbow, pulling her close, and while his other arm snaked round her back and held the nape of her neck, he brushed his nose against hers, his breath shaking, imprinting the feel of her body against his, the smell of her skin and hair, the sensation of her heartbeat thrumming against his fingers, everything that was _this moment_ into his mind, before gently murmuring her name and following it with a kiss against her lips.

She gasped. Link ignored it as he felt for the first time the soft, warm kiss he'd desperately wanted all these years, taking another and another, making each touch linger, pressing his hand against the small of her back, running his fingers through her hair, heart hammering as he realised that she was kissing him back.

He deepened the kiss, and she let him. Their tongues brushed, heat coursed through his gut and he pressed her against the door, wanting more, more, the waiting and the longing bursting through the dam of his memories.

She suddenly broke the kiss by throwing her head to the side, gasping like she'd run a mile, heat evident in her cheeks. She had her eyes screwed shut, pulling her lips into her mouth in what seemed worryingly like shame. Link breathed through his sudden haze of lust and cursed his lack of self-control. "Sheik, I,"

"Just say it. Say it and we'll be out of here."

The words felt like a vicious slap to the face and a kick to the gut, tearing at the sudden elation and hope that'd been nursed by the kiss. He breathed, slowly, and touched her hair one last time. He tried to sound flippant, casual, anything but heartbroken, but still the pain escaped into his voice. "I missed you, my wonderful guide."

The bars holding the door closed lifted with a mechanical _fip_, and she stumbled back with a yelp and disappeared into the dark. Link couldn't help but laugh as he pulled back, looking around at the empty room with a listless smirk. "You've had your fun now, Oni?"

"You could say that."

Link shook his head. "I hate you. I really, honestly do. Good thing you don't have any shrines dedicated to you, and I'm..." he rubbed his face wearily, sighing. "I'm tired. I can't even think of something colourful to threaten you with."

"In my defence," The god cackled, "She asked for it. Literally."

"I still hate you." Link shrugged, "I'm gonna get you for this, one day. I beat Ganondorf, I beat the moon. It'll almost be fitting if I beat a god next."

"I look forward to the challenge." Oni smirked, and Link turned away from the room and left.

-,-'-,-'-,-

When Link came through, the doors immediately closed and the sight of Sheik clinging to Jim cut another wound to his soul. Sighing, he picked up the Fierce Deity's Mask from the ground and put it away, waving aside Bondlo's concerned questions.

"Seems like you were wrong about the mask, chaperone," Jim sneered, and Link sighed.

"Right idea but wrong mask, kiddo. Sheik. Can you pass me the Mask of Truth?"

She refused to look at him, burying her face into Jim's chest. "Why?"

The Hylian smirked, wryly. "Hand it over, it's our key."

"I'll open it, then," she abruptly let her boyfriend go and kept her head down as she walked past him, kneeling in front of the door to place her mask on the indent.

The cracks in the doors glowed again, and yawned wide open for their Sheik.

* * *

**Aaaaaaand, CUT!**

**I swear to god that these two get a happy ending, just so you know. So please don't kill me. Please.**

**And now for review replies!**

**_hyliandragon_: Hey there! Sorry I didn't reply to your review in the last chapter, i saw it after I updated, and though I was stoked that you liked the story, I couldn't be stuffed adding another review reply to a chapter I'd already updated, so here it is now! Sorry I'm such a lazy person. :P ANd thank you for the offer! It'd be awesome to see how people view my Link and Sheik! Can't wait!**

**_V musicka_: No, you weren't wrong that was definitely FD. And he's a bastard. XD And thank you so much! It's so awesome to know that my writing's improving, even by smidges. As for the flashback part, the italics were the memories and the rest was just confused nightmare fuel. XD So there's no need to worry yourself, it was meant to be confusing, and I just like messing with Link. :P Poor Hero of Time. I hope the Link/Sheik you got in this chapter both yayed you and 'damn it'ed you. XD That made noooo, sense!**

**_Erendan:_ The reference at the end is from Doctor Who, so it's okay. I love that show, and it was such a funny line I had to use it. :P That's the great thing about fanfics, eh? You can rip off the world and you wouldn't get told off. This time I updated in three and half days (maybe four) so... forgive me? XD I hope you liked my FD, and don't worry, he appears again a few times later. He's such a bastard. XD**

**_Dark Lord Link_: I hope you liked the fight! And Link's craziness. XD**

**_Raeya Kimani_: Yayz! I love long reviews! Me too! Well, I love Igos more in this page then I love Link, but still! XD They make such cute friends, the skeleton and the Hero. Hey, I could turn that into a fic, if I find the time. As for sadistic love, man, messing with Link is too amusing. Poor fellow. Fierce Deity will appear a few more times in this fic, so I hope he'll stand up to your hopes. It'l be a brilliant challenge... lol. And take care of yourself; sleep deprovation is a bad, bad idea. **

**_HumanRiot_: Isn't it? So typical; no sense of decorum whatsoever. Tut-tut. XD I know right? Link, stop being so, 'I want her to choose me not because I ask but because she... wel... I don't know.' He is such a noob. **

**_Sparty the Bold_: ...Good point. Maybe we should pit them against each other in a Death By Ire contest. But... I just have this image of Tingle being more _creepy_ than annoying, you know? 32 years old and thinks he's a fairy. Cue: Shudder. Another good point! One that didn't occur to me. Predstined for Link to open it, huh. Well, that may be the case, or, it was predestined that only a Sheik can open the door, considering the key is the Mask of Truth. And considering their history-that-didn't-happen it was destined for Sheik to know Link because he would gain the mask...? wait...? Oh, screw it, I'm just sticking to your theory. Possible Foreshadowing, maybe. (-v-) mwahaha. Have fun wherever you're going! I hope you don't get a cold.**

**_goldenrhino_: Nah, there're guays in Ikana. Especially the Stone Tower Temple. But yeah, maybe bats would've been cooler, but I sort of decided that they're... I don't know, not strong enough. Ah, well. Maybe next time. And Fierce Deity is wisecracking because, like me, he _loves_ messing with Link! Bwahaha!**

**_Archaic_: Yay! I had a ninja for a reader! lol. Thanks for lurking by and reviewing! Another person wanting to draw for me! Oh this is GREAT! Thank you so much! And I hoped you enoed FD's attitude!**

**_Hat Guy_: The line's from Matt Smith's episode with River Song and the Angel's in it. Probably why you didn't recognise it, not to mention I changed the lines over to fit my fic, but that was the general gist of it. Freaky-as episode ever, and I loved it. Thank you for giving this a shot! I hope you're enjoying it thus far. Funnily enough, I don't really agree with this interpretation either, but I'm not good at writing male-male Shink. I jsut can't. I'm straight. I just have a terrible feeling I'll write Link or Sheik wrong. So I stick to the safe option and cower under gender swapping. I'm such a noob. XP. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and thank you very much for reading!**

**_DragonXander_: Yayz! Thank you for your praise, and I hope you keep reading! Um, I sort of just decided the upside down triangle represents the Fierce Deity, since they don't really explain it in the games. Other people add in new gods, which is cool, but I thought, FD, why not? The reason comes later, so if you stick around, you'll see why. **

**_Darkwolflink_: Here it is! I hope you liked it. I'm not quite sure whether there'll be a sequal though, but when this is finished and people ask for one, maybe I'll do it. **

**_Missing Triforce_: Four giant thumbs up, yay! Hey... wait a minute... HOL CRAP YOU'RE A MUTANT! lols, jsut kidding, of course. ;D I really should listen to that song, I've never heard of it before... I'm glad you think I'm keeping to the characters, though I have to say I'm struggling with Jim later in the story. It seemed okay at first but now it's just weird... I'm going to have to rewrite that chapter. The Fierce Deity mask, in other fics, tends to have the god trapped in there and it tried to take over Link's body and mind. In my one, Link is given the god's power, so super strength, super weapon, and super god-mind, so he knows everything sees everything and understands everything all at once, and he burns with the god's personality. Usually, a mortal would fry up and die on the spot under an hour, or go insane and go on a killing rampage, but Link can sort of handle it for over an hour and has the comon sense take the damned mask off before he goes nuts. So yeah. Long explanation, right there. XD Yes, definitely. And it wants to mess with Link. **

**Thanks guys for the reviews! I hope you liked my replies, and if you have any questions, or comments, goe right ahead, press that button. It'll totally make my weekend. **


	11. Resignation

**I _am_ astonished. Do you know why? Cuz I got like, SEVENTEEN reviews for chapter ten, and that scored the hundred review mark. Seriously? ONE HUNDRED? I was hoping for the mark to be hit in this chapter, but no, you made it come early.**

**I love you!**

**So yeah, I thought I might put this up early, just to show how grateful I am. It is a shame, however, that this is a very depressing chapter for Link, because it involves self-bashing, a memory, mask-making, and Sheik is very, very confused.**

**Poor Link. **

**You know, one person commented that I'm kinda like the Fierce Deity, sadism wise.**

**I totally agree. **

**I hope you enjoy! **

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_11_

- Resignation

Link was reminded of the temples as they entered. They'd always had a grand space available as soon as one entered, with doors springing everywhere to confuse you.

Link made sure no monsters were around, whether there were any locked doors in sight. Thankfully there weren't, but if there had been... he didn't want to think about it.

Then he looked at the opposite wall, and his stomach plummeted. It seemed his sordid past was determined to chase him everywhere, because there was a giant mosaic dedicated to the Fierce Deity and his smirking countenance. So, Link thought it would be safe to assume that the Sheikah had been aware of the god that had given them their gift, and had made sure to thank him once in a while, if the bowls of oil and ashes of incense attested to anything.

The Hylian found a bare wall, unclipped his sword and shield, plonked himself down against the wall, and prepared to have a nap. "You guys go ahead. I'll keep watch."

"What?" Jim irritably scoffed, "You're not going to help?"

"Not much point." Link shrugged as he made himself comfortable, "I can't read."

The others turned on him with looks of horror. Link shrugged it off; he was used to it. "I was never educated. Why do you think I became a mercenary of all things?"

"But sir," Bondlo protested, "A mere mercenary cannot compare to-"

"Can you not," Link interrupted him wearily, rubbing his eyes, "Mention my past exploits? I'm not overly proud of what I did here."

"But sir-"

"Professor Bondlo, do me a favour, please help these kids out while I take a rest. I... I need a break." Link glanced at Sheik, who still wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"...As you wish, Master Link," Bondlo nodded, and the redead began to lead the 'historical expedition' away from the mask-maker, who was already nodding off. He hadn't caught the title, too intent on getting away from reality. He almost expected the past to emerge in his sleep, mask or no, and he wasn't disappointed.

-,-'-,-'-,-

_Link just left the Water Temple, planning never to swim for the rest of his life. He noticed Sheik gazing at the filling lake, and his eyes inevitably drifted to the figure's rear end. He blushed, hoping Nazi didn't notice, or Sheik for that matter, since he had the feeling that this was Stingy, and not _his_ Sheik. But he supposed that since both were identical he could pretend..._

_No. He was getting off the point. He shouldn't be looking at either of their butts, _period_._

_Sheik turned and crossed his arms, and Link disappointedly assumed that this was Stingy._

"_Well done, Hero," he intoned, proving Link to be correct, "The beauty of the Lake has been restored, all thanks to you. All of Hyrule owes you their thanks. It w-won't be long before the Zora's caverns will melt and, the, people will live peacefully once more. You... you've really done a... wonderful s-service..."_

_Link concernedly cocked his head to the side as Stingy held his head against his palms, looking as if he was having an intense internal conflict. He swayed on his feet, grunted a few times, and then began to shiver as he bent forwards in what looked suspiciously like pain. The Hylian was seriously beginning to question the Sheikah's health when he popped up again, pointed a finger at Link, and laughed. "I had you there!"_

_Link gave a sigh of relief and then remembered to be disgruntled. "That was evil, Sheik."_

"_You really thought I was Stingy! Look at you, all nervous and uptight because of him." She held her stomach and doubled over once more, but from laughing instead of fake pain. _

"_Aha!" Link lunged forward and tackled her._

"_Hey!" Sheik barely manoeuvred away from a watery doom, and Link grinned and lunged again, determined to get the Sheikah just as soaked as he was. Besides, he'd grab any excuse to have her nearby, to hold her and hug her and..._

_She threw him over her shoulder and the air _whumped_ out of his lungs. Link groaned as Navi flashed before his eyes. "Ow."_

"_That's what you get for trying to make me wet!" Sheik huffed but kneeled quickly by his side, brushing his fringe aside. "I didn't hurt you worse than you already are, did I? And why are you laughing?"_

_Link chuckled a little more, kind of like a 'pause for effect', before saying, "You rhymed."_

"_...Eh?"_

"_You rhymed. _Get_ and _wet_." _

_Sheik doubtfully looked at Navi and asked, "Did I?"_

_Link surged upwards and grabbed her by the arms and rolled, laughing triumphantly as he pinned her against the ground with his body. She flushed deep red. "Got you!"_

_She wriggled under him and he grew warm in places that'd never struck him as good places to be warm in. But he kinda liked it... "You cheated!"_

"_Yeah... well..." blushing, he cleared his throat and grinned. "I do that all the time to win against monsters."_

"_Oh, what, so I'm a monster now?" _

"_No! No, no way. I just," he banished the new deep-seated fear of her finding out about his blood-lust and sighed. "I'm kinda used to winning."_

_Sheik seemed to pout. "Well so am I."_

_Link smirked and leaned down, pressing his weight down on her completely, "Is that so?"_

"_U-um." She tried shifting her body again but thought against it, looking away coyly as his face loomed closer. "Link."_

_He looked around, as if Stingy would be nearby stalking on them, before brushing his lips against her ear (she shuddered and that spiked his heartbeat), and whispered, "Can I look at your face? Please?"_

_She took a deep breath and chuckled. "Nope."_

_Link pulled away, mock-scowling. "Really?"_

"_Yep."_

"_Hmm..." Link pretended to think about it before looming close again, puffing into her face. She made a disgusted expression and coughed._

"_Eeeewww... Link, I can still smell your breath through this scarf, you know. You've been eating tektites, that is _so_ gross. _So _gross."_

_Link grinned and puffed into her face again, and her veiling fringe shifted. Sheik realised what he was doing. "Link! Don't! That's... That's not fair!"_

_Link fully blew at her hair and lifted it away. Sheik was a split second late in closing her eyes, however, and Link got a glimpse of her hidden right eye, and he doubted what he saw. _

_There was a nervous pause, until Navi broke it with a cheerful, "Ooh, a freckle! It's huge!"_

_Sheik threw him off with a colossal burst of power and she scrambled away, frantically pulling her fringe over her eye. "God, Link! That's just... I _told_ you I have to keep secrets!"_

"_It's one _freckle_," Link grouched, pouting, "And it's not that huge."_

"_Well, it's... it's an embarrassing freckle." Sheik grouched right back, crossing her arms and uneasily looking away. "I don't like freckles."_

_Link sniggered. "Freckle."_

"_Shut up! Navi tell him!"_

_The blue fairy was happy to oblige. "Yeah, Link, shut up!"_

"_You're still pretty," Link said, and immediately clamped his mouth shut._

_Sheik blinked at him owlishly. "You... think I'm pretty?"_

"_For a girl," Link blurted, "I mean, you're pretty for a girl who dressed up as a guy all the time. U-um..."_

_Sheik irritably pointed an accusing finger at him. "You still weren't supposed to look."_

"_Aw, come on, Sheik, it's just your face-"_

"_Nuh-uh! Uh-uh! You have to stand over there now, and I'm going Stingy on you."_

_Link gave a dramatic sigh, rolled his eyes, and stood where he was told to. Sheik stood with her hands on her hips and lifted her head smugly. "Watch this, Fairy boy."_

_She crossed her arms and it was like she was a different person, just the way she held herself _made_ her look like and seem like Stingy, and Link was almost cowed by 'his' presence. _

"_When the sun sets or rises," the Sheikah instructed, tilting his head towards the only stone marker on the island, "Follow what's written there and you will gain a useful weapon. I hope when we meet again it will be in better circumstances. I bid you farewell."_

_She threw the dekunut harshly onto the grass and disappeared. Link looked around, and she wasn't on the bridge, nor on the shore. "You've got to be kidding me."_

_There was a creak above and Link looked up at the topmost branch of the dead tree and watched her dive like a swan, falling into the water without hardly a splash, the blue of her suit blending her into the lake faster than he could follow. _

_His unease resurfaced as he watched the lake. "Navi, did you see her other eye?"_

_Navi nodded and Link bit his lip. He really had seen something he shouldn't have..._

Link woke from his sleep, grabbed his sword and unsheathed it halfway before realising who exactly he was threatening. Link sighed, put his sword away and closed his eyes again. "What do you want, Sheik?"

The girl was crouched before him, looking uncomfortable. "Bondlo thought that we might need your help to get through a door."

Link didn't open his eyes again. "You'll do fine without me."

"The Mask of Truth doesn't work."

He nudged his sack full of masks. "Then take my bag."

"Bondlo insisted that there might be monsters behind that door."

"There weren't any here, there won't be any there."

"The writing on the wall said, _quite clearly_, that there'll be a guardian inside."

Link finally opened an eye, sceptically. "And you tried to open the door anyway."

Sheik shrugged. "There were weapons on the wall and we picked one out."

"Gods," Link muttered, finally hoisting himself up, "Is it that easy to forget that weapons are dangerous? If Jim carries on like this I'm going to give him a talking to."

She looked at him with a troubled expression, which Link stared at till she spoke. "You're... you're not mean to him because of... me, are you?"

"I'm 'mean' to him because he annoys me." Link told her irritably, picking up his bag of masks before he gestured to her to lead the way, "It has nothing to do with you looking like my old friend."

Which was a lie, of course.

The girl hesitantly walked by his side, still looking a little nervous but defiant. "Well, you don't need to give him a talking to. It was my idea to fight whatever was inside."

He nearly stopped because he was so incredulous. He processed her words, considering how sensible she usually was... "You can fight?"

She glared at him. "You think a girl can't fight?"

"No, I think a _child_ can't fight." This was really rich of him, considering he'd fought Ganon when he was her age, "Have you been taking lessons since you were a kid or something?"

"I have a talent for it."

Maybe she saw the pain on his face, because she blushed and wouldn't meet his gaze. They approached the door that led to the others but before they reached it Sheik said, "Wait."

Link did so, warily. "What is it."

"About what happened, before."

He sighed. "I won't tell anyone, I cross my heart, etcetera. Anything else?"

She glared at him heatedly, finally meeting his gaze. "I just... I want to know more about... this person I remind you of."

Link actually backed away from her, doubt written all over his face. "_Why_?"

"You just... If she meant so much to you... I just..." She looked away shyly at the intensity of his gaze. "What happened?"

Oh, the things he could say. Time was rewritten, her soul returned to her three-year old body, and she's you, now. Yeah, like that was going to go down well.

Link laughed mirthlessly, turning his back on her. "She died."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link fitted the Fierce Deity's mask on the indent and waited for three seconds, sword drawn and shield equipped. He shrugged when nothing happened. "Well, that's that. I don't have any other mask that might open this for you."

This was a lie. He had the Garo mask, the Gibdo mask, and the Captain's hat, though he doubted the latter-most would do any good. He also didn't want to think of the things that might be unleashed because of the first two masks mentioned, and he wasn't going to put his companions in danger.

"I'll think of something later for you," he said, sheathing his blade, "I'm going to go back and make Igos his mask. You guys keep looking, see if there's anything on techniques and stuff."

He looked at Sheik, and noticed how Jim was looking at them both suspiciously before turning his attention to the redead. "Professor Bondlo, I'm sorry to leave this to you, but,"

"It's no problem, Master Link, it's an honour, truly an honour."

Link wore a grin and extended his hand for the corpse to shake. "Don't die of elation on us just yet, Professor."

The redead was still but laughter echoed from the mouth-piece as they shook hands, very briefly. "Why would I? There's so much to see and learn!"

"Awesome. See you guys later," Link left without looking back, waving without turning to meet their gaze. He couldn't. He just... couldn't. He couldn't stand being in the same room as her anymore, it hurt too much, the past that only he knew got in the way too often, and now he felt all the more alone, and he hated himself for feeling so melodramatic over a girl he hardly knew anymore.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link scrubbed the Mask of remembrance till his hands felt raw and the porcelain surface was smooth. Frustration and resentment and humiliation fuelled his every move, and he hated it, hated it so much all he could do was take it out on the mask, fuelling its magic in ways that he would've objected in his right mind.

He sat in the middle of a simple transmutation circle, symbols of life, death, regret and satisfaction etched on the four points of the compass, and the shards of the soaking mirrors reflected the sunlight of the day, dotting the line of fairy chalk, as the real moon beat down the world with silver.

The ring within the light and fairy magic, the one that surrounded Link, was a ring full of death and gore. He'd ransacked the place for useless weapons, which he'd smashed into fragments, and they gleamed in the sun-and-moon light. The flesh, blood and feathers of a single guay littered the gleaming fragments like blots of disease, and he'd hunted out every single cursed bubble in the castle, and he'd smashed them to pieces too, and they keened even now, eye sockets gaping, jaws wide open, black wings twitching in their pale-coloured fires. Flowers dotted the pile of living bones, withering visibly fast, as they sustained the 'life' of the bubbles.

Scrubbing over, Link calmed himself long enough to clear his mind, and he reached for the pot of ink he'd made in advance, a mixture of oil, ground coal, and ashes of the bones of the guay, pulling out the brush from it and, gently, carefully, painted empty eyes onto the porcelain surface. That done, he picked up the brimstone bowl full of ground skin, bone, hair, fingernails, and cloth of many a redead, gibdo and stalfos in the palace. He'd donated some of his own blood, an echo of life among the myriad of the dead. He mixed the gloop, added a drop of his Cyprus sap, a dash of sunflower oil, and a dusting of poppy's pollen, mixed it again, and began to paint in the ridiculously large third eye.

He didn't make it vertical, or reptilian this time. He made it the same as the others, maybe a little sadder, half-lidded, and more than one iris surrounding a small pupil. Then he got his finest ink pen and dipped it into the mixture, opening his book of symbols with one hand, flicking through the pages he'd marked before, life, death, regret, satisfaction, memory, awakening, pursuit, reason, many more, and then he jotted them down in the irises, greying them in a similar manner to cross-hatching.

It was true that he couldn't read. Navi and Tatl had read sign posts for him in his quests, and the Mask-maker previously had tried and failed to teach Link his letters whilst instructing him on making Magic/Soul masks. He knew his numbers well enough, so he couldn't be cheated of his pay, but that was as far as his written education went. The things he knew he knew by ear or by sight, and the way he knew the symbols for his Masks was through the pictures he'd jotted into the corners of the pages while he was still learning the art. Expressions represented things like happiness and anger, a butterfly meant (as far as he was concerned) contentment, lightning for destruction, sword for battle, things like that.

Not being able to read would have been a disadvantage if he'd lived a normal life, but Link hadn't, so he didn't feel too regretful about that. No, his biggest regret...

His breath shuddered as he thought about her. He didn't want to, but he did anyway, and he regretted his last moments with her in both this time and _then_. Here, he'd pushed too far, too quickly, and now he couldn't even look at her without _hurting_, damn it, and back then... she was gone just like that, and he hadn't been able to save her.

It didn't matter that he couldn't have stopped it. He'd just watched her die...

Link wiped his nose and eyes with his arm, breathed out, and continued to work. It was going to be a long night.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link was dozing when someone nudged him in the shoulder with their boot, and it was with great distaste that he woke from his, for once, dreamless sleep. He groaned and rolled over when he saw who it was. "Go away, Jim, I was up till late last night."

"You made Bell cry."

Link wondered who Bell was before wincing in realisation, sighing. "What did I do now?"

"We came to wake you and she saw _this_."

The Hylian forced himself up and rubbed his eyes, looking at the circle of death. "Oh, right."

"What is this creepy arse voodoo stuff anyway?" he asked, sounding particularly disturbed.

"I was making the mask." Link muttered as he stood, stretching stiffly, "This is one of the more tame versions of the transmutation circles, trust me."

Jim shuddered and backed away from the Hylian, grimacing. "You're a sick bastard."

Link sighed, scratching his head idly as he picked up the completed mask, "If it was me I'd stop insulting the guy that can do this kind of weird shit, if you know what I mean."

"Maybe you won't have to hear it if you'd just leave me and Bell alone."

Link smirked. "Is she even talking to you?"

Jim for once didn't snarl, but merely frowned petulantly, with a small smile underlying the sullenness. "She hasn't been talking to _you_, that's for sure."

"Ouch," Link mock winced, yawning, "So what did you guys learn yesterday?"

"We found some texts, _read them_, found some breathing exercises for her, stuff like that."

"Any way to get rid of her gift?" he teased, wiping the smug look off the teen's face, "Or better yet, change her eyes back?"

Jim glared, and Link smirked. "Between you and I," the Hylian jeered, touching the black and white mask to his cheek, "I think we're both despicable. I'm just better at admitting it."

Jim threw a punch, a punch that he'd probably wanted to throw since the very moment they'd met. Link caught it easily, twisting it behind his back and making him cry out. The smile that curled Link's face was vicious, all teeth and no mercy.

Link let him suffer a few seconds before dropping him. "Do that again, I break your arm."

Jim clutched his hand and snarled. "You... _you_ are a _bastard_."

The blond laughed. He walked away loftily, gazing at the Mask of regrets. "Considering I never knew my parents, you might be right."

Link entered the banquet hall where much of the dead were intently watching Sheik eat, an action they'd been denied for many long years. Link sat next to her, albeit a chair between them, and started picking at his meal, too. It looked like Igos hadn't been exaggerating when he'd claimed to have a feast; some redeads were still performing acrobatics only the dead would try, and musical instruments were being fine-tuned and oiled before they were sealed away for another long slumber.

Link chewed on a type of jerky that he knew for a fact that he hadn't packed, and wondered how the tomb-raiders were doing without their meals.

"I..."

Link looked at Sheik and nodded to her to carry on. She gulped and reiterated, "I... I looked at what you were doing last night."

"So I heard from Jim. You were scared by it?"

She nodded. "Are _all_ your masks like that?"

Link snorted. "I'd be the lord of the black market if that was the case, so no. I make those kinds of masks only when I find the need. Or when I'm specially commissioned by people I trust. The rest are just ordinary slates of decorated wood, or hoods or hats. How are you finding the dead, by the way?" he added dispassionately, nodding in their general direction, "I'm surprised you haven't gone insane."

"It's almost a relief, actually," she admitted, nursing her cup full of water, "Back home I was surrounded by people and their futures, and every time one or two jumped at me, and I could tell they were getting married, or dodge an accident, and it hurt. These people are so... quiet. It's refreshing. The only future that jumps at me is Jim's, and he's wonderfully normal, so there's nothing for me to worry about, in that sense."

Link nodded slowly at that, catching onto the fact that she hadn't mentioned _his_ hazy future. Unless she couldn't see it...

Yeah, right.

"So are you going to tell me about your dreams?"

Sheik winced. "I told you I won't."

"I think that's unfair, personally," Link stated frankly, tearing a piece of bread in half, "You saw my dark side, like it or not, and I think it's about time you returned the favour. I don't like surprises; especially the ones that I risk my life for. Tell me what your dreams are about, and then I can leave you alone. Then you'll never have to see me ever again."

Her hands shook as she balled them into fists. "Why are you so _pushy_? You were so much nicer before, like you actually _cared_."

"Nicer?" Link scoffed, standing with some distaste, "Well that was when I could still pretend to be a nice guy. But you know I'm not, so I won't bother. And if I _did_ care, it was for _her_. Have fun making up with your boyfriend. Oi! Igos! I have your mask."

Link forced himself to not look back at her as he left. It hurt to look at her. It hurt even worse that she wouldn't, _couldn't_ look at him.

He felt betrayed by _himself_.

* * *

**...Just so you know, the next chapter is a bit more cheerful. Actually, a lot more cheerful. Link's past experences with Sheik is pretty much fully fleshed out, Fierce Deity isn't so much of a jerk, and there is hope on the horizon! After all, the hour before the dawn is darkest, right?**

**So, yeah. Review replies!**

**_goldenrhino_: Yay! Lol, it's supposed to be creepy, so I glad I got that bit right. I hope you enjoyed it, though. **

**_Dark Lord Link_: Awesome! Glad you liked it. Not so much badassness remaining in this story, sorry, but I still hope you get to enjoy the rest.**

**_Airian Reesu_: Isn't he just a horrible, lovable bastard? There'll be more of him later, so I hope you stick around!**

**_Hatsusen_: It's alright! If you get tired get plenty of rest, okay? I'm glad you liked my Fierce Deity, and even if you don't review (though it would make me happy if you did) it's good to know you're still reading and enjoying. Thanks man!**

**_Hat Guy_: Aah, I see. lol. Fair enough, people have their likes and dislikes. Thanks! It's good to know that my take on FD works. ANd no worries about long reviews, I like repying to them. XD**

**_Steviedude12_: Here it is!**

**_Raeya Kimani_: That's great! No worrying needed anymore huh? Let's hope it stays that way! Actually that's not a bad plan, making Jim see who Link _really_ is. Hmm... I'll see what I can do about it. Maybe Jim'll end up ridiculing Link about being a 'hero' till he gets the bigger picture and freezes or something. I don't know. I'll see how things go. LOL! Yeah, illusions are fun to write, just to confuse people. XD Me too! Love love love FD, though not as much as Igos. FD is a close second to the skeleton king. Squee! Glomped! XD Thank you! Glad the line worked!**

**_Erendan_: Thank you! Glad to know that this chapter was so good, though the number of reviews could be an attestment to that (attestment probably isn't a word...) oh man! I so want to tell you whether you're right or not, I so do, but I can't! Imight be lying! XD Anyway, I'll let you continue speculating, and if you get it wrong, that's okay. If you get it right, you can victory dance. XD **

**_DragonXander_: Holy crap this is a massive review! And thanks, I like being sadistic against my characters. :D That's what I thought too, Jim fainting or something, but I think after a while he gets used to it, because he gets his attitude back later. He's more upset with Sheik/Link than the monsters, lol. As for the Furore Farore thing, I don't have the english game. just the japanese one, so when I started fanfics, I didn't know what to use. The first one I saw was Furore, so I've been using it ever since. Someone told me a few months ago that Farore is technically correct, but I didn't want to change because, one, I couldn't be stuffed, and two, Furore means loud noise. So does Din. I thought the connection was hilarious, so I thought it'd be more ironic if I kept it that way. Lol. Also, Nice take on the empty triangle. Um, as for writing tips, all I can say is find out what your character is like a try to stick with it, really. It's them that drives the plot, not the other way round. And yes, the giant humanoids are teh Shadow beats from TP. I actually nicked the whole passage from 'Once upon a Fairytale', one of my other fics. Again, lol.**

**_hyliandragon_: YES! They did! And poor Link regrets it. (T.T) Jim in the game really is an arrogant git, though he's supposedly a good guy trying to help out his town. I always get him first just to annoy that midget. lol. I'm silly like that too. I'm glad you like FD aswel! XD**

**_Sparty the Bold_: The process is part of the fun of review replying. I like putting thought into my replies because it's clear you've put thought into your reviews, though it may not seem like it at the time for you. And you guys mention things I never notice about my fics, which is just awesome. Unfortunately, though, there really is no antagonist to this story. If there was, it'd ben Link's paranoia, hesitance, and fear, since the point of the plot is to get him and Sheik together, and those, among other things (Jim). The monsters are from TP, the Shadow beasts. I used them because their description was in another fic of mine so I could nick it, and Link in this story line hadn't met them yet, so it'd be another new challenge for him. Thanks for the review! See you after a while!**

**_Kazewolf_: Yeah, Just the name Fierce Deity has that kind of aura, eh? At least, that was the case with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you review again!**

**_HumanRiot_: I know, right? Stupid Link, stupid FD, and let's hope Sheik gets it through her head that Link's better than Jim, eh? Yay! Numerous thumbs up! Thank you Riot!**

**_darkwolflink1_: I hope you liked it!**

**_V musicka_: Wow! Really? Oh man, this is awesome, can't believe people like you think my fics are so good! Yes, sort of. It was just an illusion, and Link _thought_ he was searching fro Sheik in the Twilight Realm. The information in his _mind_ was an illusion too. _That_ is how powerful FD is. Either, glad to know that you think it's WIN. WOOT for kiss scene! Oh yes she is. She is so going for Link, but shes thinking, crap, crap, i have a BOYFRIEND already. And this guys so much older, hell, he could be married. Silly things like that. Thank you! I'm thinking you dodn't like this chapter very much because it's so depressing, but the next one's good. I swear it is. **

**_Missing Triforce_: I get the sudden feeling that Link's thinking that's exactly what the FD wanted. I'm assuming when you say he's like pscho creeper that was when he was fighting. Originally, i was going to make Link almost afraid to fight because he feared his dark personality, but after a while i decided to cut that out. but yeah, that creeer mode is pretty much the only reason he survived life. I mean, seriously, beating Ganon with a mind of a ten year old? Tall order, unless you have somehting really nasty helping you behind your back. Ah, yeah, I know what you mean. I have reason for this, flimsy though they are. For the key, things happen without you knowing in dreams. XD For Sheik, uh... I don't know. I'll check. The Gilded Sword was used because FD wanted to make Link completely sure that Link couldn't realise that the situation had suddenly gone pear-shaped for him. Thanks for the advice, though! I'll keep it in mind when I'm checking through future chapters. **

**_TheSoupDragon_: Thankyou! Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm writing OUFT again, so after this is over I should be updating that again. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope to see your review again! XD**

**_Moonleaf_: Thank you! There won't be anymore bloodthirsty Link (actually there will but not in detail) but there definitely is more FD. Stick around!**

**Thank you so much for helping this fic achieve the hundred review mark! Love you all, hope you keep reviewing, and that I continue to make you happy with my fic!**


	12. Relief

**Guess what? I have a cold! XD And I hate it! D: I've had, like four pills today. I am displeased. DISPLEASED, people. I hate pills. Swallowing them feels wrong, leave them in your mouth too long and it tastes bad, and yeah. Pills are bad.**

**Sigh.**

**Anywho, next chapter is here! This is one of my favourites, second to Rage. Because rage is cool. XD**

**In this chapter, the past is pretty much fleshed out, you see why Link is a little hesitant around Sheik (SAD ALERT!) FD is still a bastard, but a lovable one, and, yeah. Igos. XD**

**Enjoy! **

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_12_

– Relief

A gibdo silently put it on, took it off, and shook its head. Link's jaw dropped. "It's _still_ not working?"

"Are you really going to burn it?" Igos frantically clutched the mask against his bony chest. "Because I wish you wouldn't, really, really, really."

"No I won't burn it," Link muttered, gesturing at the king to hand the thing over, "Just give me the damned mask, I want to see what's missing."

Link gave a guttural sigh of exasperation as he examined the thing under a magnifying glass, checking the runes he'd painted over the night and seeing whether there were any smudges. He didn't put it on. He already knew what his regrets were, and didn't feel the need to relive them. After a few minutes of concentration Link gave up. "I don't get it. I don't know what's wrong. I bet you my shield that if... oh. I see the problem now."

Igos' personal bodyguard one (PB1) nodded sagely. "It's because we're dead, isn't it."

Link nodded, holding his chin in thought. "Yep."

"Ah, nuts," PB2 grunted, shaking a fist disappointedly.

"I'm sorry. The runes are right; it allows you to see your regrets, and thus rest in peace, but, you guys are already resting, though with a distinct _lack_ of peace. I thought my blood would bridge you to your past life, but..."

"We need Ikana blood, don't we."

"Probably. And don't. Please. Don't ask Sheik to hand her blood over. She has enough on her plate already, Igos, please."

"Yeah, yeah, sheesh," Igos grumbled dejectedly, "You over-protective down-buzz, you."

"She hates me." Link informed him bluntly, "And I know she wouldn't be able to refuse if you asked her; she's just... earnest like that."

"And beautiful," Igos added,

"And polite," PB1 agreed,

"And intelligent." PB2 finished, making the Hylian glare.

"You guys aren't helping. So. I will leave you to your devices, and pack my stuff."

"What?" Igos protested as the one living being in the room stood to go, "Why?"

Link shrugged, snapping his neck to relieve its stiffness. "Professor Bondlo and his assistants are finishing translating the texts for our 'beloved oracle'," he punctuated the title by scratching quotation marks into the air, "So our stay's pretty much over. She can study in the comfort of her home and I can happily run away from my miseries. And I can come back on my own to help you with that stupid mask."

"You sure you won't regret it, lover-boy?" Igos asked, speaking like the King he was meant to be, "I'd hate to leave you here alone to be another gibdo without a name or past."

Link shrugged. "I took what I wanted, and the price wasn't worth it."

"Oh what's a little heartache?"

"A _little_ heartache?" Link spat, snarling like an animal, "Things change, things always change, and I am always left behind to deal with the _heartache_. Kafei grew old! Pamela's gone twisted! For all I know Princess Zelda is falling in love with some prick back home and she'll leave me on my own to deal with my paranoia and my panic-attacks, and I can't do anything to stop it! Even _you_ guys are changing, and you're bloody _dead_! I bend, shift, travel through time, and yet what I control is my biggest enemy! Hero, my, _arse_."

Link burst out of the throne room towards the Sheikah chambers, and finding the Mask of Truth on the floor he activated the doors, went through, grabbed the mask and watched the doors close with savage satisfaction. Nobody could disturb him now, _he_ had the key.

Link tucked the Mask of Truth into his sack and went to the room with the door they hadn't opened yet. But he stopped half way, turned back, and approached the doors once more. He rummaged through his pack of masks and pulled out the Fierce Deity's mask, fitted it on the indent, and walked through.

The God cocked his eyebrows as Link approached. "Come to fight me, have you?"

"No," Link said, shaking his head. "I came to ask you a question. Something doesn't add up."

Oni smirked. "You were one of the few brawns who had brain, even if you didn't have an _education_. I like that in my warriors."

"Spare me the innuendo and just tell me." Link crossed his arms. "What is Sheik dreaming about? She's still dreaming, but it's better. Either that or it's just stopped. Why? If it's better, why is she still terrified enough not to talk about it? If it's stopped, she should be drawing what's going to happen."

Oni smirked and leaned against the well that hadn't been there yesterday, brimming with smoking water, probably filled with visions of impossible worlds. "But didn't she say that they weren't _visions_? And for all you know she got used to it."

Link frowned doubtfully. "Visions or not, she seems to enjoy drawing. So why not even a single doodle? Tell me Oni, what did she ask you to make her see?"

"_Let_ her see."

"I don't care. What was it?"

"The answer's written in the chamber you want to get into for her, you know." The god cackled, plunging a hand into the well and pulling out what looked like an infestation of unborn snakes, "You sure you want to wrest the answers from me?"

Link genuinely thought about it, and sighed. "I'm not powerful enough for that yet."

Oni laughed. "Good judgement. I'll give you some creatures with some interesting horns for that; it'll help your masks retain their magic."

The Hylian huffed. "I hope you enjoy disappointment, because I'll see to it that I make the battle as short as I can."

"Brutal or careful, I always love the way you fight." Oni shrugged, licking his lips with relish. "Oh, and nice work on the Shadow Beasts yesterday. Shall I send their feisty flying cousins to you next time?"

Link couldn't help but smirk at the thought of fighting black leather wings, sharp claws riveted with arcane symbols, the thrill burning his chest. "Be my guest. You know I'll win."

The Fierce Deity raised his hands, grinning. "All part of the entertainment."

Link rolled his eyes, saluted, and turned to leave. Then stopped.

"Oh, and one more thing." He turned back and scowled, half way out of the door. "If you ever touch her like that again, I _will_ kill you."

"If it means anything to ya," Oni winked and pointed at his favourite warrior with a knowing smirk, "That chick totally enjoyed having you all over her _much_ more than she ever did that cap-wearing kid."

Link snorted distastefully and really left. Secretly, annoyingly, and _stupidly_, hope edged in.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link was back where he started, staring at the indentation in the door to the Chamber of Secrets. Now that he looked at it properly, it didn't look too much like a face. Sure, the right bumps and trenches were there, but it was too rough and inaccurate for a mask to be fitted on. So another kind of key was needed. Blood? No, that was too easy. And random. There had to be another clue here, a proper clue, on the indent, on the floor, on the walls, somewhere...

Link hefted the Mask of Truth and wore it, looking around. That didn't help much, though he found a tiny gossip-stone, etched in the corner. He stroked it with the tip of his finger to activate it, and he heard it whisper that it'd heard through the grapevine that the Sheikah were famous for not only their Sight, but their musicians too.

Music. Hm. Link rocked back onto his heels, staring up at the indent. He could sort of convince himself that the pot-holed chin area of the thing was actually a giant grin with overly large and crooked teeth like a piano, but he wasn't so good at playing any sort of instrument except the ocarina, and he hadn't played that in years.

He hummed the Song of Healing, and nothing happened. He tried the Song of Storms. The Sun's song, the Elegy of Emptiness, though that sent a violent shiver down his spine. He scratched his head, and thought about what Oni had said. The answer of what Sheik had wanted to see, in the Lost Seven years.

Link hesitantly hummed Zelda's lullaby, but nothing happened. Then he resignedly sung the Song of Time, all the way through, twice, and the forehead area of the indent glowed, forming a Triforce with the middle, representing the Fierce Deity, shining brightly.

The doors slid open with the typical grinding noise of old mechanisms, and Link stood up and walked in. He unhooked the crystal containing Din's fire from his ear and lit the braziers lining the walls, throwing off the blanket of darkness the room had been sleeping in for the last goddess knew how many years.

More pictures on the walls, drawn with the same kind of detail and intensity the prophecy of Majora had displayed. Instead of the mask, however, there was a girl in a blue battle suit, with a red crying eye printed over a white tabard, blond hair flying away from her face.

Link's jaw dropped. He looked around, and the whole thing was like a single tapestry telling a very long story of a girl with two hearts enduring famine, pestilence, war and death, fighting monsters, healing wounds, watching a dark shadow devour a land bit by bit, always pointing to a pinprick of light, as if saying, "Don't you see it? Don't you _see_ it? The Light's still there, there's _hope_."

And at the very end she greets a figure in green, and she gives him one of her hearts, and the heart he holds shines for the brightest moment, and then it's black and dead as a rock.

Link began to hyperventilate, body jerking this way and that as he drunk it in with his eyes, the stylised monsters that he recognised, the erupting mountain, the empty lake, the dead city and the withering forests, he recognised it all and he looked back at the larger than life depiction of the main character of the story, reaching up to brush her face, the left eye red...

Right eye blue.

He remembered seeing it for the first time, at Lake Hylia when he'd blown her fringe from her face. He remembered checking it at the Colossus, the suspicion mounting...

_Judging by the speech this was Stingy. Link didn't listen, just waited till he finished teaching the song, and Link pretended to tuck his ocarina away. But then: "Sheik, look out!"_

_The Sheikah spun round but nothing was there. Then he collapsed against the sand as Link catapulted into his back, pinning him to the ground. His struggle was futile; Link easily flipped him over and locked his wrists above his head while pressing down on his chest. Stingy's eye widened when he saw the Silver Gauntlets. "But... _how_?"_

_Link grinned. "Oh, you know, I thought I could cheat by finishing off the Temple in the past, but it didn't work out. I found these nifty things, though, cool huh?"_

_They were amazing. He was holding Stingy's wrists with barely a thumb and a finger. His hand against his chest posed enough of a weight that Stingy was struggling to _breathe_. The Sheikah coughed and struggled before gritting out, "Why...?"_

"_I don't know you." Link growled, "I don't know if you're working for Ganondorf, I don't even know what you look like. I want to see your face."_

_Stingy wheezed and glared. "You mustn't, and you'll not dare."_

"_Do it, Navi!"_

_The fairy screeched and flashed brightly in Sheik's eye, making him cry out. Link violently combed his fingers through his hair, revealing the right eye. _

_Blue. Just like _his_ Sheik. _

_There was a blast of power that sent him flying, and Navi came after him screeching his name in worry. Link saw a wave of sandstorm blanket Stingy and the next thing he knew, he was gone, and Link reassured his partner that he was alright. _

_He swallowed sand and coughed. "Navi, how likely is it for two people to have a red eye and a blue eye?"_

"_As likely as a Zora having a holiday here."_

"_So... unlikely?"_

"_More like impossible, but, yep."_

He remembered how easy Twin Rova had been. He'd gone straight to the Temple of Time as he'd been told, and he looked at the picture of the girl giving the green figure one of her hearts, and something like a sob tore at his throat.

_Link leaned on his knees as he stumbled into the Temple, wiping sweat off his forehead as he looked at Stingy, who was watching him with his arms crossed, as usual. _

"_Link," he said, "I thank you. I thank you in the place of Hyrule. I thank you in place of the Princess, and... I give you my apologies, as well. Perhaps I should have accompanied you more frequently, but there is a reason to my actions and my secrecies, and I beg your patience, if you would, as I tell you about the Sheikah legend of the Triforce."_

_Then Stingy cried out, clutching his head, and _his Sheik's voice_ escaped his mouth with a yell full of vehement force, and Sheik-Stingy was shaking her head as she clutched it between her hands. "I haven't talked to him yet! Give me contro-No! What are you _doing_?_ _Link is watching as we speak, we don't have the time-shut up! I'm not listening to you! The only person that doesn't have time is- nor the energy to fight each other, you must go, _now_!"_

_It was like a nightmare brought to life. Two different voices belonging to two different people were bubbling out of the same body, fighting for control, fighting for dominance, and Link panicked and ran forward, catching her in his arms as two minds struggled to assert themselves. _

_Link picked out the parts that was his Sheik speaking and strung them together, doing his best to hear her. But it was mostly Stingy that was in control, blabbering about the Triforce splitting and him having the fragment of the Triforce of courage while Ganondorf had the power. "L-Link, I'm sorry I lied to you, I so-so wanted a friend, to tell the truth, I was lonely but I owed it to Zelda for letting me-have some of her body, if she'd found out I never would've talked to you-ag-again. Let me _talk_!" _

_She stopped shuddering violently, and instead of clutching her head she held him round his shoulders, and he felt her sob against his shirt, and Link held her tight and made calming shushing noises. "I'm here, I'm here, it's all right, Sheik, everything's alright..."_

_She shook her head and held him round the middle this time, and his heartbeat thudded embarrassingly loud against her collarbone. "I'm sorry."_

"_What?" Link rubbed her back as Navi hovered round her head like a halo. "What are you sorry for?" _

_She sniffed and breathed, and said without waver, "For not telling you this sooner and that I... I can't keep our promise."_

_Link's heart froze. His hands and knees began to shake, and everything was suddenly ice cold. "Oh Furore. Furore, no, don't die Sheik, don't die. Please, you promised you wouldn't!"_

_She laughed even as tears flowed down her cheeks, unstoppable as rain, as a river, as death. "I'm sorry. I have to."_

"_But I... but I..." Say it, _say it now_!_

_She pulled her cowl down and showed him her face, shocking him enough to break away from his grasp; she smiled despite the fact that she looked so sad. "Find me, okay?"_

_Navi looked at Link and he was in too big a shock, so she replied for him. "What? What do you mean?"_

"_Zelda doesn't want this to happen to anyone. To the people, to me, to _you_. When you beat Ganon, and I know you will, Link, she's going to reverse time. You'll be ten again, and I won't be dead. I won't be dead, Link."_

_The Hero of Time was ready to grasp at straws, and the ones Sheik offered were what kept his sanity intact. "I'll find you, I will, but please, Sheik, why do you have to-"_

"_I swear I'll remember," She sobbed, raising her arm, baring the back of her right hand at him, "I promise, and this time it'll be true. I'll remember you and we'll have fun together, just you and me and the monsters. We'll beat them together next time."_

_The Triforce glowed on the back of her hand, like a time-bomb ready to explode. _

_Link grabbed her by the arms, as if that would stop her from disappearing like every other time that he'd wanted her to stay. His eyes roamed her face, searing into his mind the lilt of her mismatched eyes, the contours of her cheeks, nose, jaw, lips, "No Sheik _don't_!" _

_She smiled, and as her tears glistened on her cheeks like stars, she mouthed two words that broke him, the light of the Triforce robbing him of the last glimpses of her, the moment her eyes closed, the moment her tan slipped away for pale skin, the redness bleed away from her left eye, the subtle shapes of her face changing and destroying vestige of what was _Sheik_._

_Two words. _Good_, and_ bye_._

_When he opened his eyes next he was holding's Zelda's arms, not Sheik's. _

Goodbye.

"_Where's Sheik?" he murmured brokenly, a tear dripping from the corner of his eye. _

Goodbye.

_Zelda opened her mouth, but Link didn't allow her to speak. His grip turned savage, lancing pain into her through his fingers, as his face twisted and he hissed, "Where's Sheik?"_

"_Link, Sheik is-"_

"_No! She's not gone!" he yelled at her face with the child's power of denial. "Where is she!"_

_But he'd seen her mouth those terrible words, and the tears came like a flood as he sobbed and asked again and again where Sheik was like a lost child. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor and bawled and bawled and bawled, banging his fists against the temple stones, the sorrow constricting his lungs. The pain in his screaming throat was nothing like the gaping hole in his heart, and no matter how loudly he wept, sobbed, howled, no matter how much he downright _cried_ the comforting arms that rubbed his back wasn't Sheik's. _

_Goodbye..._

Link gasped and clapped his hand to his mouth, forcing himself to _breathe_. He honestly couldn't fathom how he'd managed to receive the Light arrows from Zelda and defeat Ganondorf within that day. Maybe he'd been desperately half-hoping that Sheik would turn up at the end. No, no, that wasn't how he'd done it. He'd been angry. He'd gone on such a bad, rage-fuelled rampage that even Navi couldn't stop him till he tumbled down the stairs one too many times. And as he'd lain there, sprawled upside down on Ganondorf's stairs, replaying and accepting her death, he saw in his mind three people that was to blame.

Ganondorf. Zelda. And himself.

He was just glad he'd placed all the blame solely on Ganon. If he'd attacked Zelda, time would never have been rewritten. Sheik would never have lived...

He gasped and closed his eyes, telling himself not to cry. But he did anyway, because that childish part of him that held promises above all else was feeling utterly betrayed, because Sheik hadn't remembered him, she hadn't recognised him at all.

Or... or _did_ she...?

Link reassessed his actions. Why had he come here? Because Oni had told him to. Why? Because Oni had said that this was the answer to his question. The question being... what, was Sheik... dreaming...

Link looked again, at her story, of the girl with two hearts, pointing at the light in the darkness as if to say, "Don't you see it? It's right there, _right there_!"

Link rushed to the part where he got involved, and there was no light near him, not even to indicate Navi. No flash of light when he exited/entered temples, no light when he and Sheik in the picture stood together; the only flash of light in the story was when he held Sheik's heart in his hands, glowing bright just like the star of hope in the dark future.

She wasn't dreaming about the future. She was dreaming about _this_.

A smile tweaked his lips, and it grew and grew and grew till his face threatened to split in half with his ecstatic joy, turning into a giggle, bubbling into a chuckle, unfurling into gut-rolling laughter that sent him soaring to the sky.

He laughed till his sides hurt, till he was just a trembling mess of elation on the floor. Good tears rolled fat and plentiful to the floor as he cackled breathlessly, trying to figure out what he would say to her as soon as she remembered.

-,-'-,-'-,-

The Fierce Deity was expecting him. Link crossed his arms over his chest, fully aware that his face was mess of tears, snot and grime. "You had it all planned, didn't you."

The God shrugged. "You could say that."

Link shook his head with amused exasperation. "Unbelievable. _You_ planted the dreams in her, I would've thought you'd _know_ if a great big kiss would kick her memories into form or not."

"In my defence," Oni raised his hands in mock surrender, "The girl is really good at ignoring things. And being morally correct, like not cheating on her current lover."

Ah. Link had forgotten about that. Ah, well, he'll get round to that later.

"You happy now, warrior of mine?" The Fierce Deity enquired almost kindly, and Link shook his head again.

"You deserve a shrine, god of mine."

The Great One bellowed with laughter, slapping his thigh to show just how ridiculously funny that was. "I thought you said Furore was your patron."

"She is," Link conceded, nodding his head, "But I don't have her mark etched into my face, do I?"

"I've always wondered why you never regretted that," Oni pointed at the thing as he sat down in a chair that hadn't existed a second ago, and he gestured for Link to sit as well. "You _have_ always said you hate me. And I know you meant it each and every time."

Link gratefully sat down and wiped his face a little more, sniffing. "Yeah, still do, in a sibling relationship sort of way. I hate your guts, but deep down I can't go without you, Great One."

The God snorted. "A sibling-like love with a God. Talk about presumption."

The Hylian chuckled. He couldn't stop smiling. "I admit it. It terrifies me when I come out of the buzz, but I love to fight, I love taking down beasts that would scare any other living man, I love to _beat_ them. Without the fight I wouldn't have a foundation, I wouldn't have searched for a job that satisfies my... for lack of a better word... peaceful, side."

"Oh, _mothers_," Oni muttered, "You're not going spineless on me, are ya?"

"Hell no. I'm just saying that without you I'd be dead. Being courageous got me into the temples; being bat-shit insane got me _out_. So thanks. I owe you."

"Just don't build me that shrine." The Deity muttered as he dismissed the Hero, "I'm happy pulling the strings away from the light; I don't need dim mortals doing shit in my name."

"Duly noted." Link smirked. "I'll just build myself a private one and cut it up a little when I'm mad at you."

"Then you better get started." He said as a goodbye, smirking, "Cuz I'm going to tell you that you need to take that little rose to your bed real soon if you want a go at her first."

Right, Link thought as he slammed the door closed, twenty nicks into his face, for that.

* * *

**Yaaaaay! Yaaaaay! Hope is on the horizon for our Hero! Just a little bit more, man, just a little bit more.**

**Oh, and just so you know, this story is (I may have already told you this) is 20 chapters long, so guess what? We're over half way! :o**

**Anyways, review replies.**

**_Erendan_: Oh, really? Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter, then. :D I COULD post the rest of the whole story up, but as you said, where's the fun in that? At least I don't update, like, every two weeks, right? Because that would be cruel. Go on, go on, do another victory dance. You earned it. XD**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Strong emotions for the win! I'm pretty sure there was a lot of that in this chapter, so yeah. Glad you liked it! I know! It sucks! The lack of updates, I mean. Sure, I've only got a few on my alert list now, but seriously? Seriously? Update rate is LOW. You got any fics you wanna recommend from the LOZ section?**

**_Steviedude12_: lol. In his defece though, Sheik really does have a skin tight suit. And his butt GLOWS in the game. Get to the Water Temple and you'll see what I mean! XD I hope you enjoyed this too, so, yeah, leave another review for me, kay?**

**_Airian Reesu_: Yay for characterisation. You got the bad side from him last time, here's the good side! And boy isn't he happy? XD That won't last long, thanks to me. Sadism for the win! Glad you thiught the not-being-able-to-read thing works. It was a risky bet on my part, and I'm glad someone liked it. **

**_darkwolflink1_: Thank you! Here it is, and hope you like. :)**

**_Humanriot_: It's okay! This chapter makes it all better, right? So don't be sad! XD Though you're right, Lin really isn't helping himself at all. He should, though, now. Unless Sheik does something particularly stupid... lol. yes, theyare 'not-very-nice-people' to each other, Link and Jim. It gets worse later, too! Though no sword fight, since Jim would lose hands down. Yeah, mask of remembrance (no regrets) comes into play later, and it really does confuse the hell out of Sheik, but not in ways you'd think, though you're close. Thanks for your support, and I hope you liekd this chapter too!**

**_Kazewolf_: Yeah, me too. And they sort of have, right? Though it just looks like a mess when it's not 'activated'. You're right! That never occured to me. Maybe there is a prophecy there about him, and Bondlo explained it to the kids while he wasn't there. Oh, no, wait, the prophecy about Sheik that Link found could be his prophecy by default, since it IS about the Lost Seven years, But I degress. :P Link's lack of a future is explained, in like, chapter 19. So it's a long way away, sorry. XD LOL! Thanks! I love stalkers, they make me feel special. **

**_hyliandragon_**: **It's okay, their relationship gets better! ...After it gets worse. Lol. I'm like that. You got your answer to your questions! yay! I hope the dreams thing makes sense, now. XD**

**_Missing Triforce_: Yeah, Jim is pretty predictable in this sense, eh? He's just normal that way. XD You're right, though I put your reason as reason number two for attacking Jim. Reason nuber one is that he'd never got the chance to hurt Jim for calling Sheik's eyes freaky till then. Reason number three, as Link said, is because he was in a bad mood. And so you know, your theories were awesome. I was totally cracking up laughing as I read them, they were just so cool. I might use them sometime! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Hoooooooooooooly... this, is definitely a long-as review. Right. Let's get dooown to business.  
-Oni used them against Link because he wanted to give Link a chllenge he would never ever have a chance to face in his life. TP, I'm assuming, happens years and years later, and since the Mad God gets involved (FD's relationship with him gets fleshed out later) FD finds the Shadow beasts fascinating, and enjoys watching them getting destroyed. He wanted to see how Link would cope against them, so he chose those to be Link's opponents. He probably plucked them from TP verse and dumped them in the illusion, so yeah, a few twili died in the name of entertainment. Evil Fierce Deity. So, yeah, your first theory was more in tune with mine. lol.  
-It's funny how people find Link scary when he's attacking _people_. Sure, it's all badass when it's just monsters, but when he goes for Jim it's like, :o. In his defence, though, he still hadn't punched Jim for calling Sheik's eyes freaky, so he had _major_ self-control going on right there.  
-WHy thankyou! It's nice to know I have a semblence of mystery in thsi fic as well as all the other gengres I'm cramming into this thing. XD But I was thinking, though, if Sheik had known what was going to happen in the Canyons in the first place, would she have gone?  
-It's fair that you don't like Link being illiterate, but just because he can't read does that make him uncivilised? If he'd stayed in Hyrule and done nothing but kill monsters, thn I'd agree with you, it's pretty uncivilised. But he's travelled round, saved a few people, and he probably learnt a lot about different cultures and stupid social rules and the idiocy of prejudices and fear of death and gods and stuff. Plus because he saved a lot of people he probably had access to a lot of people so he would've asked questions about books they've written and stuff and made debates to pass time while he healed. And not being able to read adds to his insecurities, that he's not good enough for Sheik. XD Anyway, that's why I made him illiterate.  
-I deem that the sign posts were there for the benefit of the gamer. I mean, come on. He's lived there for ten years, you'd think with that tiny population he'd know who lived where and which led to the Deku Tree or the lost woods. ANd if not, the sign posts were in Kokiri, and the rest were Hylian. So that's why he couldn't read them. Yes, I'm making random excuses that are stupid. LOL. Though the forgetting how to read thing works just fine too.  
-...Oops. Navi's going to kill me. XP  
-As for voodoo, i added that in as slang, nothing more. LOL. I didn't want him to call it magic because magic (in Jim's mind) is less 'freak' and more 'cool', so yeah. That's just me being lazy.  
-And that was a ridiculously long reivew reply. You deserve cake if you read all that. I hope my silly excuses appeased you for the moment, and I'll be waiting for the next review! Let us see how we can trip each other up, eh? ;)**

**_darkwolflink_1: Heeeeere you go! Hope you liked!**

**In the next chapter there will be silly Igos, some worrying, angst, and then Sheik's POV for the first time! I have my reasons, i swear, and it's just cooler that way. You'll see!**

**Please leave a review, it would make my sickness go away that much faster!**


	13. Rift

_**I LOVE REVIEWS TOO MUCH SO I'M UPDATING EARLY**_. **How do you like that, eh? XD**

**Anyway, in this chapter there is, Igos (I love that guy) Link and his thinking too hard, Sheik's character development, and the fierce deity screwing things up again. Also, more proof that I'm a sadist that enjoys torturing Link. **

**BWAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!**

**Enjoy!** - Rift

* * *

****

13

"It just occurred to me," Link informed Igos the next day, who was being taught a series of positions known as tai-chi, "That I reek."

The skeleton would have blinked if he had any eye-lids, swivelling his head round as he stood on one leg and spread his arms out. "Yeah? So?"

"How safe do you reckon the river is? I thought I might jump over and get cleaned up in it, but what with Pamela and her gang still out there and things like that..."

"You _could_ just use our bath-house."

Link blinked and pointed an incredulous finger at the King. "You have a bath-house."

"We _were_ alive once, contrary to popular belief." Was the skeleton's ironic reply, and wind-milled his arms as he tried to regain his balance.

"But you've never mentioned it before!"

"Yeah, because it had a nice coating of filth after long years of neglect. But it's all clean now, so you can use it however much you like. We even got the pumps working."

Link sighed, shrugged, and was about to let it slide when something occurred to him, and he narrowed his eyes at the thought. He crossed his arms, smiled with a glint of mild suspicion in his eyes, and drawled, "You know, I'm beginning to think that you cleaned up the baths because of the high chance that a certain shaman would be-"

"Nonsense!" Igos laughed, not looking at Link anymore, "Why would we be interested in the pleasures of the flesh when we hardly have any left on us?"

Link's smile died. Now it was just suspicion. "I was _going_ to say that a certain shaman would be more willing to help you kick out the raiders if you helped her feel clean."

The dead froze. Link tapped his fingers against his arm as he circled round, Igos doing a wonderful attempt at playing dead as his servants shuffled nervously.

The Hylian glowered, barring his teeth. "Did you peek while she was bathing?"

If he was alive he would've been sweating. "No. Swear upon my throne, I haven't."

Link glared round at the sheepish living-dead. "Has anybody else?"

Igos shook his head vigorously. "I don't believe so."

Link wasn't going to let the monarch go with just that. "Did you _intend_ to?"

"Well... yes?"

"Yeah, don't." He advised, patting the King on his shoulder, "It won't make me happy."

"Fair enough. But friend, before you go, will your clothes last? They look ready to tear at the smallest snag." Igos demonstrated his point by hooking a fingernail into a hole in Link's shirt and tweaking it a little. The fabric tore like a dream, and Igos said, "Oops."

"Argh, _Igos_," Link exclaimed, and seeing how ruined it was he threw his hands down in defeat. "I'll just fix it once I'm clean. I've got plenty of thread and needles in my kit."

"_Or_," Igos was grinning. Link could tell. "You could wear one of our uniforms. I'd prefer it if you'd take the one reserved for the First Lieutenant, I know you like green. It'll suit you."

The Hylian immediately shook his hands in protest. "No. _No_. I couldn't do that, at least not, _damn it_ Igos, why are you offering me the uniform of a bloody lieutenant? Isn't there anything more common, like, I don't know, a kitchen boy's shirt?"

"It's probably rotted away by now," he shrugged, gesturing at his servants while he held Link by the shoulder, "But higher-up uniforms were made out of stuff that lasts. And we still hadn't thanked you for the rest you've given to my Captain, and our four finest fighters, pardon the alliteration. I'm sure you remember Beth and Meg and Amy and Joel."

Link sighed and conceded, "Yes, I remember."

"They'll be happy to see you in respectable dress, my friend. You've earned it."

"When you say _respectable dress_," Link enquired sceptically, "Do you mean that literally?"

Igos' gesture was iffy. "You can call it a tunic, if you want."

"...Let's see this tunic, then."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link hadn't realised just how filthy he was till he'd taken that bath. It wasn't his worst record of un-cleanliness, but still. The way the dirt had melted off him like a second skin had put into question just how he'd gotten so messed up only after four nights in the wild.

No, wait, he'd handled some pretty nasty stuff on two of those nights, making masks. He hadn't changed clothes on any of those nights, which was somewhat gross even by Link's standards, and he'd traversed a muddy canyon, an abandoned well, and a palace inhabited by the dead. The reason he hadn't felt grotty was because those places had seemed so... normal.

Now _that_ was disturbing.

He was just glad the bath-house was so huge and grand; he didn't feel as guilty soaking in boiling hot water for longer than he usually would. Satisfied that he was a _lot _cleaner than he usually was, Link padded out of the bathing area and entered the 'dressing room'. He'd left his clothes in a cloth bag and his new clothes was in a basket. He'd liked the look of the tunic. It reminded him of his old get-up as the Hero of time, and this time if he was mocked for it he could always point his finger at the Ikanish King.

Link towelled himself dry and was halfway through the new outfit when he noticed that the shirt was missing.

"Igos," he muttered to himself, sighing irritably as he draped the one towel he owned over his bare shoulders and tapped towards the door. "Of all the things to forget..."

Before his hand touched it, the door opened on its own, and he found himself staring at red eyes. Link opened his mouth, closed it, and made sure that he wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough Sheik was still there, he was still shirtless, and he _knew_. "_Igos_."

"I... I-I'm not..."

"No, yes, I know," Link muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You're not Igos. Can you tell him I'm missing a shirt? Not that it's not obvious..."

"Um." Blushing, she ripped her gaze from his torso and offered him a bundle of beige cloth. "I think this is what you're looking for. He um, was going to send a servant to you but I, I uh, came instead."

"Thanks." Link took the shirt from her, closed the door, and thought of ways to end the King's existence. That was a low blow. A _very_ low blow. It didn't matter that the monarch didn't know about the fiasco of a kiss Oni had put him and Sheik through, that bag of bones was going to pay by becoming a _literal_ bag of bones. _And _be thrown down a massive cliff.

He grabbed the green tunic and paused. He looked at it and bit his lip, glancing back at the door. He didn't know whether he should wear it, now that he had a good idea about what Sheik was dreaming about. Should he be hinting at the truth behind her nightmares? Or maybe he should let the Fierce Deity's curse/enchantment run its course?

She still probably hated him for that kiss.

And... She didn't understand the dreams; she thought they were half-visions of things that _could_ happen. They weren't memories for her, they were just horror-stories being forcefully played in her mind. For all he knew, she was going to hate him worse for being involved in the atrocities of her dreams.

But there was still a chance... wasn't there?

Right. Play it calm, and it was probably best if he apologised for acting so harshly towards her since that breakfast. He hadn't talked to her properly in twenty-four hours, after all.

He threw on the shirt, the tunic following immediately. He clipped his belt in place and strode out, his bag of old clothes flung over his shoulder.

"So," Link said, as he greeted her fully dressed this time, "Why'd you volunteer?"

She jumped, still blushing from seeing him shirtless. "U-um, v-volunteer for what?"

He grinned, a little wryly. "Bringing me my shirt?"

She looked down as she walked, clearing her throat awkwardly. "The mask's working now."

Link frowned. "...What mask?"

"The Mask of Regrets."

He fully stopped in his tracks, stunned. He shook his head, not quite believing it. "I hadn't got it right. Something was missing, to connect the living with the dead... unless _you_...?"

She lifted a hand indifferently and her middle finger was wrapped in a bandage.

Link grabbed her hand ("Hey!") to examine the bloodstain on the white cloth, and a sort of quietness settled on his expression. "Who asked you for your blood?"

She snatched her hand away, looking affronted. "No one. I offered."

Link's forcedly calm expression cracked a little. "How could you have even _known_-"

"We were eavesdropping on your conversation yesterday. I _offered_ my blood. They even refused to accept at first because they were scared of you getting mad." She shrugged and turned away, "I thought it'd stop them from making those weapons, and it worked."

She was cramming too much information in his head. The mask worked? She eavesdropped on him? What had she heard? And, "...What weapons?"

She looked back at him with confusion and a hint of disbelief. "The weapons they were forging in the courtyard, to fight Pamela. Did you forget?"

He _had_ forgotten, embarrassing as it was to admit it. So he didn't, at least not outwardly. "Oh you know, making masks, meeting gods, fighting illusions, my mind was fairly occupied."

"Among other things, I'm sure," Sheik muttered, adding an insult to his injury.

"...Look," Link reasoned, a little pleadingly, "I'm sorry about how I've been acting since yesterday, but if this is about what happened when Oni trapped us in that room, I told you that-"

"You didn't exactly _say_ what your _greeting_ would be did you?" she snapped, blushing to the tips of her ears, making Link flinch, "I thought it'd be like... I don't know, you said she was a _friend, _not, not _that_!"

"Is it so wrong to want to keep that private?" he incredulously demanded, "And Oni's jibe about my _desire _was a fairly obvious hint-hint-nudge-nudge comment, don't you think?"

Her blush deepened. "I have a boyfriend!"

"_I noticed_." Link hissed, making her take a step back. "I have been well aware ever since he stepped into my line of sight. But I-" he stopped himself, took a deep breath, and let it go, slowly. There really was no point, anymore. "I'm not here to argue with you, I'm here to make sure you don't get hurt by whatever that comes our way, vision-related or not. Go chat with Jim or one of the dead. I've got some unfinished business to attend to."

"And what's _that_, oh Hero," she spitefully lashed out, stabbing him figuratively in the back.

Link sighed, shook his head, and lifted his sack full of dirty clothing. "Laundry."

-,-'-,-'-,-

He threw his clothes against his pack. He kicked his pack, scattering the masks everywhere, breathing raggedly as his insides churned with his stupidity, his hope that just because _he_ knew what was going on, so would she. He wanted to burn the tunic he was wearing, he wanted to go someplace where he could scream at the sky. He wanted a monster to take out his frustrations on, to hack to pieces in a rain of blood, to kill it right where it hurt the _most_.

...He knew _exactly_ where to go.

Link unhooked the wires that held Din's Fire and Nayru's love from his ear and put it in one of the pockets of his back-pack, leaving Furore's wind where it was. He unsheathed the Fairy Blade and left all masks to clatter to the ground. He couldn't care anymore. At least not now.

He found Igos in front of a large line of the dead who were taking turns wearing the Mask of Regrets. Link could immediately see the line of blood Sheik had traced under the third eye, as if it were welling with red tears of, of course, regret.

"Igos," Link stated frankly before the King could get a word in, "I'll be back in an hour."

The swordsman left even as the King called him back, asking what was wrong. As soon as he was out he used the crystal to travel where the Cave of Ordeals was, at the mouth of the river. The gate was open; Link barged through, and leapt over the platforms over the natural spring, and kicked open the first door he saw.

A dragon roared, gnashing its teeth at the sight of him, the magic of the place giving its soul shape and form at the one last chance to take him down to hell with it.

"This," Link smirked, "Is why I _love_ sore losers."

The dragon belched fire and Link charged.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Jim was sullenly sitting on the cot in his room when Sheik approached him. "Hey."

He glanced at her standing there and miserably continued to pack. "So we're talking again?"

She sat next to him and gripped her knees, not meeting his gaze. "You were right."

Jim looked at her, surprised by the unexpected closeness. "I was?"

She nodded. "About everything."

"You mean..." he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hoping what he was hearing was _exactly_ what he thought it meant, "You're going to get rid of your Sight?"

She snorted, shaking off his arm. "Okay, you were right about everything _except_ that."

"Oh." The sullenness returned.

"I meant," she elaborated, "You were right about _Link_. I'm sorry for not believing you."

He visibly perked up at her apology, but made himself appropriately serious when he asked, "What did he do?"

She bit her lip as she looked away. "He... you know how me and him got pulled into that room, with the wrong mask?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, not quite sure how fully she should tell him of what had happened in there. "He fought these, I don't know what they were, just these _creatures_ that wouldn't die at first, and the way he fought..."

Jim fully hugged her, tightly against his side. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, no he saved me from them, but..." It'd scared her. But it'd awed her. That fearlessness, his brutal smile. All to protect a girl that Sheik was guiltily feeling jealous of. She tried to shake it off, but still she couldn't help but wish... why couldn't she stop shaking?

"I knew he was twisted in the head..." he muttered quietly to himself as he cradled her against his chest, "I never _got_ why he was here in the first place."

She laughed, shakily. She understood, now. _That_ kind of person had a chance of defeating what haunted her dreams, though it was by a long shot. "I told you; my brother hired him."

"Yeah, but even _he_ said that he wasn't the right guy to ask about fortunetelling and shit. And Kafei asked Princess Zelda from Hyrule to bring help over, right? I'd get it if he was like, a bodyguard to a priest or whatever, but he was just some guy who's good at what, _death_? How the hell could the Princess get away with that? You deserve better help than that punk."

"Don't call him punk, you sound stupid," she teased, closing her eyes and breathing calmly. Jim grinned and lifted her jaw to kiss her. She let him, enjoying the gentle touch that teasingly licked her teeth.

Then her chest clenched, remembering the burn of older lips, desperate heat coursing through his very touch, a rugged name that she hadn't caught branding a tongue that lanced fire into her very core. She gasped and pushed Jim away, cheeks red and guilt racking her insides.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, shaking, "It's just..."

Jim moaned with dismay as dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, "You're _still_ dreaming? How long has it been, now, huh?"

She nodded reluctantly, glad for the assumption, "Over two months now."

"God, that's annoying."

"I have a feeling they're nearly finished with me though, these dreams," she murmured to no-one in particular, "A few weeks more. Three months."

Jim looked at her. "You call that nearly finished? Seriously, what gives you that idea?"

"I don't know." She blinked, and really thought about it. "But I think I know who to ask."

Jim blinked back at her and said, "_Ask_?"

"Yeah, in the room where Link and I got trapped, the god that talked to us through the mask Link had, it... it talked to us. For real, in person." She saw how sceptical he was and grasped his hand. "Come on, I'll show you. We just have to borrow that mask off Link and then all we have to do is fit it on that door, just like he did."

"But-" he stumbled as Sheik wrenched at his hand and made him jog out into the corridor, "Aren't those zombies still translating the writing on the walls for you?"

"They're trying out the Mask of Regrets, they won't be there, _trust_ me."

They snuck past the Throne Room where the procession was still going on, and went through to the courtyard where Link had made the mask. He'd cleaned up his mess neatly; not even a bloodstain remained from the ritual, though his bag was gaping wide open with masks strewn around it like garbage.

She looked at the pile, a little shocked. He wouldn't have left things like that so carelessly, where anybody could touch them. She remembered the look of stern warning when he'd told her not to touch those masks at Dampe's. Yet, here they were, free to be touched, or taken.

Jim stepped round her, looked for Link, shrugged, and walked towards the bag. "Which one was it, the God Mask, I mean."

"Jim," she clutched his arm and stopped him from crouching down amongst the masks. "I don't think we should just take it. Remember he said that we shouldn't touch them?"

Jim snorted and waved it off. "I bet he was just trying to scare us with the whole cursed masks thing. I mean, not all of them can be magic, right?"

"Then why would he bring them at all?" she questioned, looking down at the pile, "What's the point of bringing baggage that you don't need?"

"He could've thought of selling on the road, right, in case of seeing travellers? Or hell, he could've offered a few to these creepy bastards; you know how they've been complaining about facial expressions and stuff."

"But-"

"Relax, Bell," he shrugged her off and crouched among the masks, sorting through them one by one. "Even if they _are_ magic it probably doesn't matter as long as you don't wear it."

Sheik bit her lip and controlled herself in correcting him on calling her _Bell_. They'd just made up, and she didn't want to break that yet.

She crouched next to him, carefully putting aside a hood made out of a wolf's head and a hat made out of bones. She told him to shut up when he made snide comments about two masks that didn't have eyeholes. The plain wooden one was alright to look at, but the porcelain one with one opened eye painted on it disturbed her. It made her feel like a burglar being stared down by a watchdog, and she could've sworn its gaze was following her movements.

As soon as they found the Fierce Deity's Mask they scuttled off to the Door of Truth-

Door of Truth? Sheik shook her head as she led the way, the borrowed Mask of the god in hand. Why would she call it that? Because it was opened by the _Mask_ of Truth? She was being silly. It sounded too grand, almost like something that would come out of a dream, a-

For a second she thought the doors were made out of marble, but she blinked and they were yellow stone and mud again. She quickly checked the inside of the door, saw no zombies, closed the door, swapped the masks, and opened it again.

There were no tentacles lashing out to get her this time, which was a relief. "Well," Sheik sighed, extending her hand out to Jim, "You coming?"

They held hands and walked in together, to a place very, _very_ different from what Sheik recalled.

It was no longer a non-descript room that could be found anywhere in the Ikana castle. It was a wide open space made out of white walls and marble floors, intricate glass windows streaming in cool sunlight, and though she'd never been here before...

"Familiar?"

She and Jim spun round, and there Link was in a white undershirt and leggings, knee-high boots, a simple belted tunic of forest green, a ridiculous cone hat of the same shade. He was leaning against a brilliant sword with a purple hilt, stabbed into a pedestal that stood on a hexagonal platform that Sheik instinctively knew had the Triforce on it, with six symbols circling the holy mark. A blue light fluttered by his shoulder, and he cocked his head—he didn't have any tattoos—to the side as he smiled. "Why are you crying, Sheik of the Sheikah?"

"She's not... Bell?" Jim was looking at the silent tears drifting down her cheeks, and he gently held her by the shoulders, making her look at him. "You really are crying."

"I..." she wiped her face and glared at the figure in green. "I know who you are. _Stop it_."

"What is up with me and my favourites anyway?" Link laughed, and his body shifted and warped, tarnished silver armour morphing over the now white tunic and grey leggings, the eyes blank yet _hungry_, tattoos crawling over his eyes and forehead, the Fierce Deity revealing himself in all his muscular glory. "You all hate me."

Jim gulped and said, "Shit."

The Fierce Deity eyed the young man and smirked. "I would usually insist on mortals like you to grovel before me, but I suppose as my Oracle's guest you can avoid that humiliation."

She knuckled her eyes again, and gritted her teeth. "Why am I crying?"

The God looked at her next, and laughed. "You are so far gone in denial it's amazing."

"_Why am I crying_?" she yelled, and gasped as arms wrapped round her waist and hauled her away from Jim. The young man reached for her but ended up slamming into an invisible wall, and when Sheik looked at her captor he was Link again, the face that was distinctly young, intimately close to hers. The feel of her back against his front made her knees buckle. "I missed you," he whispered with his voice, "My wonderful guide."

She squirmed in his grasp, struggling to get free. "What are you _doing_?"

"Torture through jealousies brought to life, and giving you what you want at the same time," he shrugged, gently kissing her jaw, smirking. "Isn't the look on his face _priceless_?"

Sheik just struggled to escape, not wanting to look at Jim, or 'Link'. None of her efforts worked. She gasped, cheeks colouring, the anger in Jim's eyes and her own racing heart filling her with guilt. "You know what I want to ask?"

He chuckled, pressing a kiss into her hair, then her neck. "Yes. But I didn't _give_ you these dreams. You _asked_ for them, in a time that never happened."

Sheik shuddered as his words ghosted over her skin. "_Stop it_!"

Oni-Link laughed and spun her round, hungrily grasping her face to stare at her eyes. "The red of sunsets, rubies, roses splattered by blood. How could he not be captivated?"

She tried to pry off his clawing grip, but all she managed was a, "What?"

"Your request lay in your regrets." He hissed, so only she would hear, as he morphed back into his true form, "Wear the Mask. That'll be your short cut."

He pushed her hard, crying out when she collided into Jim. Then the ground disappeared and they were falling through darkness.

"I _missed_ you, he said," The god added teasingly, "Past tense. Doesn't that seem strange?"

Next thing she knew there was a loud _bang_ as stone doors opened and the void threw them out, and she skidded to a painful stop as the doors closed, again, with a loud _bang_.

* * *

**Okay, don't hurt me just yet, guys, don't hurt me just yet. I mean, Sheik's awakening to her memories, right? This si good, right?**

**Well, it is good. so there. It will get better. :D Anyway, review replies!**

**_Erendan_: Isn't it GRAND when you find an update late at night? If it's early in the weekday morning you're like, damn it, I can't read it now because I've got work/school but if it's late at night, you're like... I can stay up a little late... at least, that's the case for me. So yeah. XD I'm glad you got several victory dances out of that. As for the romance being slow burning or not... it's a little bit of both. They sort of hint at it to each other for a few chapters, which is sloooooow... and then petrol is dumped on the flame. XD That's pretty much all my romances go. Hopefully you'll see what I mean, or else it just goes to show how I suck at explaining stuff.**

**_HumanRiot_: Okay so maybe there's a liiiiittle more sadness to go by before we get to the really happy parts. It just occured to me that this story is one massive: 'Is link going to be haaaaappppy... no he's not. Is he nnooooow...? No he's not'. LOL. Poor Link and poor Sheik, indeed, indeed. Fd would be a cool annoying brother, eh? **

**_Sparty the Bold_: Aw, nah, i love long reviews! It just goes to show how much you guys put your thought into reading this, and I get to answer questions and avoiding confusion and stuff. It's fun! And no, the situation between them is not so good as of yet. sigh. Thank you! Yeah, I thought I should make a reference to music some how along the way, or else it wouldn't be an OOTandMM futuristic story-ish, thing...? A nod to N64. Like you said. :P As for the voodoo thing, fair enough. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I can't wait to see what you think of it! XD**

**_Darkwolflink1_: Cool!Thanks so much, I'm glad you like it. I'll check out your stories some time, I swear, so look forward to my reviews, kay?**

**_Kazewolf_: Yaaay, you're back! XD Now, to answer those questions! Sheik won't say anything about them because, a, she thinks she has to see them (don't know why as of yet) so she keeps it to herself, and b, she's terrified that if she says what happens out loud it'll come true. After all, she hasn't met Link in her dreams yet. They DO eventually break up. In like... chapter 18. or 19. :P He would've done something bad to Jim but the kid's learnt his lesson, he won't say anything like that again. And you're right, he so would've confused the hell out of Sheik if he'd tried, you know, STUFF, but Sheik didn't give him the chance to. Silly Sheik. Anyway, thanks for coming back, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**_RaeyaKimani_: Lol, I don't have anybody to show these to, so that'll explain the occasional typo and stuff, despite the fact that I've looked at these chapters so many time I could probably recite what happens in each and every one. Which is sad. XD I'm nearly better now! The cold shal be defeated! Yeah, Link TOTALLY suffered because of that ray of hope. BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA. Sadism is the best. In response to the DOOO IIIIT, I rewrote a chapter to scare Jim a little and to show just how much respect and loyalty the skeletons hold for their hero. I'll let you know in the A/N at the top, though Link doesn't reveal himself to be the Hero of time, sorry ;). And it's okay, you didn't kill grammar with that lond sentence about Link and FD. And for Link having a dark side and him accepting it, i thought, hey, he MET IT in the water temple, he might as well accept it, right? Congrats on fulltime work! I hope you got there on time! Thanks for the reviewing, and I hope to see you for this chapter too!**

**_goldenrhino_: Aaaahh, my Weird Door. Physically, it's just a wall. A really thick wall, but still, a wall. The power of the masks opens dimensions into the wall, so though, physically, there's only a wall, once you use the mask to open the door, you get, like, a temple in there. Kinda like the temple of time in TP. You can proabably youtube it, lol. Anyway, what link did was go in with the mask fo truth, and took the mask with him. So he's in a new dimension and back in termina there's just a wall. Now, in the new dimension, if Link fits on the mask of truth onto the door, he goes back to termina. But he can go into FD's dimention with FD's mask, so there's two separate dimensions open at once in Ikana Castle's wall. Wow, that was a ridiculously long explanation. It probably sucked too, so sorry if you still didn't get it. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Yay! Glad that line was a hit! And yes, of course I'm interested! I'll read! I'll get to it as soon as I've updated this so expect two e-mails in your inbox from , kay? XD **

**_Steviedude12_: ...Your question has utterly confused me. Lol. You mean I use shit but not ass? Or you mean why doesn't one get censored while the other doesn't? If it's the first then I just don't use ass as often. At least, not in that spelling, i prefer _arse_. If it's the second question both get censored, so the question I got through my e-mail was really... disjointed. lol. **

**_Airian Reesu_: Thanks, I'm feeling a lot better! A pill each day? Wow, sounds like my brother. Only his condition is temporary, or so they say. And thank you! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you liked this one too. **

**_DragonXander_: To be honest, I have no idea whether we'll see Link slash Oni's shrine. Probably not, since he'll have to make it first. Although that would be an idea for a oneshot... Nice. I have a personal threat that I really want to use, but I need somebody standing with me holding a knife at their throat, so the likelyhood of that happening, is... low, at best. (T.T) I hope this ends well too! XD**

**So, yeah! Here it is, guys! I hope you review and all that, because that's kinda why I updated early. XD**


	14. Regret

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update, I had stuff going on that kept me away from the computer. A date, for instance, among other things. Just so you know the other things were bad stuff. The DATE, on the other hand, was yayness galore. XD**

**Anyway, before I turn this into a blog, (I don't have a blog, just so you know) here's the fic!**

**RaeyaKimani, this is the chapter that i somewhat rewrote for you, because you wanted me to freak Jim out with the knowledge that Link's a hero, right? Not quite happening the way you wanted, but still. Here it is!**

_**Enjoy!**_

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14

- Regret

When Link got back he was soaked, having taken a dip in the river to wash off the blood and gore of numerous monsters he'd just slain. Over his shoulder he held his booty; bits of their fur, skin, horns, hooves and claws, things that would be useful in the making, breaking, or fixing of his more complex masks (and the dangerous weapons he'd stolen over the years).

He dropped them immediately when he saw the giant scrapes and bruises on the kids that he was supposed to be looking after. "What happened?"

Sheik winced as a redead silently poured a jug of water over her bleeding leg. "Nothing."

He looked at Jim, who was getting the same treatment on his arm. "Nothing?"

The young man glowered at Link with rekindled hatred. "Nothing."

A gibdo moaned and handed him the Mask of Truth, and the Fierce Deity's mask. Link accepted them with quiet thanks and glared at the two teenagers, brandishing the latter mask in their direction. "_Nothing_?"

"Al_right_," Sheik admitted, looking down guiltily, "I went to go see Oni about my dreams. I took the mask without asking, etcetera, etc-"

"This isn't on the level of _etcetera_!" Link hollered angrily, making her wince, "What part of _God_ did you not get? Do Gods enjoy being interrupted by mortals? Do you think they _care_ about our petty problems? You guys are _lucky_ to be alive. In fact, you guys are lucky to be _sane_! That God isn't just about rebellion and whatever else I said! He's about battle, death, blood-lust, he's the one that _created _the seven deadly sins, and _enjoys_ people suffering from them. _That's the kind of God he is_! Why do you think the Triad kicked him out of the skies?"

It was Jim that ironically commented: "Yet you have his mark on your _face_."

"Because I owe him!" Link barked, "And he _likes_ me. I risk my life for his fun, he makes sure I stay alive to keep him entertained. _This_ is here to make sure whatever fights me knows what they're up against, _and_ to make sure he _keeps_ liking me. Without him I'm _dead_!"

Link's yell seemed to reverberate in the room, and froze the dead better than the sun's song ever could. He forced himself to calm down, to look at their wounds closely. "Now, are you two badly hurt? What did he do to you?"

"Oh, he just molested _my Bell_ while looking like _you_," Jim sarcastically commented, hissing when some skeletons brought some herbs, "Back off, I don't need medicine from you."

Link promised himself that he was going to have a word with Oni sometime in the future as Sheik and Jim squabbled. Today would be bad. He wouldn't have liked being intruded upon through the mask, and Link wasn't going to risk the depth of the God's mercy.

"-dragged us here," Jim spat, pulling Link out of his thoughts, "It's your wonderful _hero_."

"Jim _stop it_!"

Link blinked. "What?"

"Yeah, we heard you," Jim sneered, shakily standing on his feet. Link winced at the sight of his lacerated palms and forearms. He must've skidded on his front or something, which, Link hoped, meant Oni had just thrown him around a bit. "When you were trying to make a mask for one of these zombies you stormed off saying _hero my arse_. You think you're a Hero? You think you can travel through time? You think you're so awesome with your pansy-ass sword and your freaky shield-mirror and every other magical mask you own, but you know what, you're _wrong_. You just look _stupid_, look at you; you're even wearing one of these guys' hand-me-downs, because what, it adds to your image? No _wonder_ these guys love to have you around, you're like their jester, a bloody huge _crack-pot_."

Then he had two swords crossed in front of his face, which he yelped and stumbled back at. It was PB1 and PB2, glowering full of rage at the mortal boy.

"My partner," PB1 snarled, "Will tell you what'll happen to ya if you say that again, fleshy."

PB2 nodded. "We will have the pleasure of hearing you scream as we flense you limb by limb, _after_ cutting out your tongue."

"Guys, stop it," Link groaned, slapping his face, "You're not helping my image, here."

"He dishonoured you, sir," PB2 stated calmly, "And we do not take dishonour to our saviour lightly."

"Yeah, well, I do." The Hylian unsheathed his own sword to untangle the skeletons' weapons, the metal ringing loudly in the deathly silence. "He's mostly right anyway."

PB1 growled. "But-!"

Link raised a hand to silence him before turning on Jim. "You want your say, that's fine with me. You want to take this somewhere else?"

Jim's face reddened, humiliation and resentment colouring his tone. "You think you're so great don't you? Mediating between us and them, fighting and winning against _everything_. But that's all you're good at, right? _Fighting_. You come here saying that you're here to help, but what _good_ are you really? You don't know _shit_ about what Sheik's going through and what's making it happen. You can't even _read_! All you can do is talk bullshit about your travelling and make it sound like a fairytale, when I bet it's like _this_, all the time, like some sick _nightmare_!"

Jim gasped, viciously combing back his orange-blonde hair from his eyes, glaring at the Hylian. "Hero or not, all you've done here, is _destroy_ stuff. You haven't saved _anything_."

"Why you little-!"

"You're pretty much right," The Hylian shrugged as he began to gather his booty. The skeletons faltered at the ease the Hero of Time displayed. "Kinda why I gave up the whole fighting business to be a mask-maker."

"Not that that's helped you any, freak."

"Don't tempt fate, moron," Link chastised once he stopped PB1 and 2 from attacking again. "Now get packing. We've overstayed our welcome, no thanks to you." Link glanced at Sheik, who was looking torn. "What did the Fierce Deity tell you?"

She flinched. "Just, just to wear a mask. I don't know which one."

Link's lip twitched upward, briefly, in mirth. "I'll wear it first to make sure it's alright. Get treated; these guys know how to prevent infection pretty damn well."

Sheik flinched again at the knowledge that he had seen through her lie as he walked away.

PB1 and PB2 glared at Jim. They marched towards him, deliberately slowly, sheathing their swords as they went. "In respect to the Hero of Masks, we will not hurt you."

Jim's face contorted with distaste, "Hero of-?"

"But we want ya to know, _fleshy_, he lifted a curse from us. He _defeated_ us, the three greatest swordsman of Ikana. He brought the Four Guardians and stopped the moon from falling. Think about how great a man that must be, how powerful and how _patient_ he is with ya, getting yapped at by a brat like you."

Jim paled. One of the skeletons cocked his head to the side. "It seems you remember, if only by a fraction, of what we imply. Consider this ample warning, and leave this place. You are lucky that it was us and not the King who heard your insults; our King, though jovial, is of the devious persuasion."

"In other words," the other one chuckled nastily, "He would've gone behind our Hero's back, killed you, and made sure he thought it was a _really_ tragic accident."

Then the other two walked away, leaving Sheik uneasy and Jim shaking in his boots.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link put it on after waiting for a while. Igos gave it to him with a great sense of hesitance, considering he'd been screaming out of raw fear the last time he'd put it on. Link didn't bother to smile reassuringly; he just slipped it over his eyes. The memory was the only one that hadn't been brought up since he travelled here; it almost deserved to be replayed.

Not that he didn't think about it every few days.

_Kakariko was burning in the night, like a torch to guide the lost from the wilderness. Link rode there as fast as he could on Epona, but it was still too slow, _far_ too slow, because people were screaming and children were running and the well was dry as a bone in the desert._

_Link dashed in, sword and shield ready to fight, but he couldn't fight fire, he didn't have the magic, he didn't have the materials, and damnit, damnit, there was no monster in sight that could've caused this. Frustrated tears burned at his lashes, because he couldn't _do_ anything, maybe pick up a bucket and hurl it at the flames, sure, but there was no bucket, no water, and people were still screaming for help._

_What kind of Hero of Time couldn't help people when they needed him most?_

_Link looked around, desperately searching for something, _anything _he could do to help, and there was another roar, but this was something more, something that wasn't quite so mortal._

_Link spun round and someone was standing at the lip of the well, back turned, glaring down its dark throat._

"_Hey!" Link yelled, running over, "You shouldn't-"_

"_Stay back, Link!"_

_The Hero of Time faltered, knowing that voice, and the silhouette. He just couldn't tell whether it was Stingy or Sheik. "But-!"_

_A massive earthquake shook the earth and blackness darker than black ripped its way out of the well, grabbed the mysterious guide by the torso and flung him against a house like a doll._

_Sheik screamed. _

_He didn't think. He didn't even doubt it was her. He just ran in front of her and raised his shield, teeth barred with rage, sword ready to bite and hack at the creature that so much as _dared_ hurt his-_

_A hand grabbed his foot, Link looked at Sheik, and he heard her croak, "Run."_

_Something smashed into his chest and his breath was knocked out of him as an invisible force batted him aside like a fly. Then a grip that felt like two giant hands squeezed him into screaming unconsciousness._

'_;';';';';';'_

_He woke up to rain pattering down his face, and a murderously angry Sheik glaring down at him. He was cold to the bone, and stiff as a plank. He groaned and closed his eyes again, darkness framing his sight like a fog. A pink fairy fluttered away, finished with healing him._

"_Link, wake up, _now_."_

_The young man winced at her livid tone and coughed. "Five more minutes I swear..."_

"_You wake up _right now_, Hero of Time, or else I'll, I'll kick you till you wake up, just you watch me-"_

"_Alright, alright, just... help me up? Please..."_

_Blue light flashed in his eyes and his fairy friend sobbed against his cheek. "Oh Link, oh Link, what did you go and do that for, you could've gotten killed, you could've died, you, you... what _was _that_?_"_

_Sheik's voice was low and dangerous as she explained, "Bongo-bongo, a demon that Impa dammed into the well a few years ago. It's escaped into the Shadow Temple, and Impa's trying to stop it before it gets too powerful. You'll have to go in after her, Link."_

_The blue fairy flashed with outrage. "What, you're saying that thing didn't have a _shape_ but it still hurt Link this bad? And you're asking him to fight it, is that what's going to happen?"_

_Link brushed his palm against her wings and smiled, a little shakily. One side of his face hurt like hell. He tried not to make too much facial expressions as he croaked, "Navi, look, I'm fine, see? Sheik, what about you? I'm sorry I couldn't get to you fast-"_

_Sheik made a noise that sounded like a steaming kettle and Link's insides scooped themselves out and ran away when he saw that she was crying. _

_Sheik. Crying. _No way_. _

"_You _idiot_!" She yelled, raising her fists as if to pummel him, "I was fine! I've been fine for the last seven years; I don't need you to protect me! Why did you move! Zelda told you to stay put, she _told_ you to stay back but you didn't! You had to put up your shield, you just had to get hurt because of me, you just... you just... _you could've died because of me_!"_

_And her face crumpled and she started bawling her eyes out_, _a loud hysterical wounded child, completely succumbing to her nightmares. Her body convulsed with her sobbing as she screwed the heels of her palms against her eyes, and Link panicked inside, because he'd somehow made her cry when all he'd wanted to do was protect her._

"_Um, Sheik, wait, oh man please, please don't cry," he shuffled like a lame donkey to her side, and he attempted to give her a hug and awkwardly stopped, tried to touch her but faltered. It was like there was an invisible barrier around her that Link couldn't navigate around, no matter how much he tried to comfort her. "Sheik, hey, I'm sorry, come on, please stop crying, please come on, stop crying alright, I'm sorry I'm sorry, hey..."_

_She continued to sob, and Link finally got himself to place his hand on top of her head, and feeling like a complete dunce, patted her. "Um... I'm alright, see? I'm fine, look; I'm just... what about you? Sheik?"_

"_I s-said I was fine," she snivelled and glared, "And _don't pat me_."_

_Link snatched his hand back as if it'd been burned. _

"_Why did you do that?" she demanded, "Zelda told you...! Zelda told _me_ to look after you; it should be the other way around! You should've done what_ I _said and stayed back!"_

"_But-" _

"_You're way too important, you're way more important than me. You shouldn't take risks like that, you shouldn't _do that_!"_

"_But-!"_

"_I'm about to die anyway! Once-"_

_Cold that had nothing to do with the rain grabbed him by the heart and strangled him. Sheik had her hands against her mouth, looking horrified. He realised he had her by the shoulders and squeezing hard; he wondered how he'd gotten in that position as he heard himself croaking, "What did you just say?"_

"_I didn't... I didn't say anything,"_

"_Yes you did! You just said, you just said..." his hands were shaking. He was having a panic-attack, just like when the Deku tree rotted in front of his eyes and he could do nothing to stop it, nothing, helpless, helpless and useless._

_Sheik falling, lifeless..._

"_No!" Link dragged her over and hugged her so tight, buried his face against her neck so desperately that she gasped and winced, probably in pain. She was probably in a really uncomfortable position as well. Link didn't care. He wasn't letting her go. "Don't die. Please don't die. I can't, I can't do this, please, don't, don't, what's wrong? What's, what is it? Is it Ganondorf? Is it, are you sick? I'll look for the cure, there's a really strong mushroom in the woods, I'll do anything, please, don't die, don't die!"_

"_Link, wait, it's not about that, I'm not going to die, I'm sorry, I-"_

"_I'm not letting you go. I'm not. I'm _not_." he was sobbing, just like the time she'd found him behind the Deku tree, feeling like everything he loved and cared about was slipping between his fingers like sand. "Saria and Darunia and now Ruto too, all my friends are turning into Sages, I don't want to go to the Shadow Temple if you're one of them, oh god that's what you mean, isn't it? Is it? Are you...?"_

"_No, no," she squirmed in his grasp and sat in his lap, letting him sniffle into her shoulder, and hold her so tight she was flat against him. "I'm not the Sage. It's Impa. I'm not even from here, it's alright, I... I won't die."_

_Link shook his head. "You're lying. You're lying."_

"_You don't know that."_

"_You're not denying it."_

"_Because I don't need to. Because even if I did, I met you. You became my friend. And everybody dies eventually..."_

"_Not you." Link fiercely grated out, his throat raw from sobbing, "I won't let you die. Not when I'm around."_

"_You can't always be around."_

"_I will if I have to."Link shuddered and pulled himself away, holding her face with one of his hands, gently, rubbing the pad of his thumb under her wonderful, wonderful red eye. "I..."_

_Say it. Say it now. It's easy. It's three words. _I love you_._

"_Link," she wrapped her arms around his neck, and just out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pull her cowl down, and he felt her lips against his cheek, and goose-bumps burst all over his arms and his heart fluttered like a bird, because she'd just kissed him, she'd kissed him. _

_He held her close, opening his mouth to say it. _I love you_. _

_Sheik patted his back, almost casually. "I'll be fine. I promise."_

_His hold on her faltered. "You... you promise?"_

"_Uh-huh. I'll be fine. I won't die even if you finish the Shadow Temple. I'll be waiting outside for you, if you want."_

_Link hesitated before nodding, like an unsure child, asking for something that he didn't know how he could possibly attain._

_Sheik came into his line of sight, and he was disappointed to see that she'd covered her face again. "Deal. Now, come on, can you stand?"_

"_Can, can you?" Link asked back, worried that he'd allowed himself to be the one being comforted, when he should be making sure she was alright, that she was safe. They helped each other up, wincing at stiff joints, rubbing feeling back into limbs after sitting or holding them for too long. "You should come see a healer, the potion lady'll help you, and she always helps me for free..."_

"_I'm fine, really," she insisted, giving him one last hug, "You should get rested, and warm. I have to go tell Stingy you're safe. He'll check on you and tell you what to do for the Shadow Temple, alright?"_

"_Why can't you tell me now? You're right here, right? You can tell me."_

"_Because I can't do magic, silly," Sheik gently turned him round and pushed his back to make him move. "Go on, get better. I'll see you again when you finish the Temple."_

"_But-"_

_She threw a Deku-nut against the ground, blinding him. Link yelled and covered his eyes, and when he blinked she was gone._

_Link's insides felt a little hollow with foreboding. _

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link chuckled to himself as the memory stopped playing and the plain darkness of porcelain over his eyes encroached on him. "I could never say it out loud..."

"Hmm?"

Link took the thing off and gave it back to Igos, who'd sat next to him in case he had a screaming episode like last time. "Nothing. Just me, talking to myself. Anyway, glad it works."

"You have no idea," the dead king remarked, flipping the thing over and over, "People remember their names, they're getting reunited with their loved ones, they're completing unfinished jobs, and I'm finding more and more loyal subjects thanking me for the miracle. They're willing to serve till I official _drop_ dead, and I'm inclined to believe them."

Link chuckled again, and patted the skeleton's spinal cord. "It'll only be a few more months till this place is quiet. You're glad, right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Igos sighed, leaning on his knees. He looked around his castle and sighed again, making Link groan.

"Come on, tell me. What's your regret?"

"To not have been able to continue the Ikana legacy for longer." he told the breathing man simply, "I wanted to make this place thrive, but in my arrogance I made it fall. I wish I could set that right, but that's something that can't be done by the dead, I suppose."

"With that kind of regret you won't be at peace forever," Link remarked, leaning back onto his palms. "And I'm guessing my masks aren't what you're hoping for, right?"

"No, not really..."

"I have an idea," a new voice to the conversation said, and the two men turned to find Sheik standing behind them. She hesitated before sitting next to Igos, putting the skeleton between her and Link. "If you're willing to listen."

"Meh," Igos shrugged, "You're our Shaman, and you made my mask-maker's gizmo work. I don't see why I _shouldn't_ listen to you."

She blushed, bit her lip, and clenched her fists. "Before I tell you, I want you to promise not to attack the archaeologists. Please. Promise me that, and I'll give you my idea."

Igos did a double-take and looked at Link. "What's an arch-logistic?"

Link shrugged. "I think Pamela mentioned a word similar to it, but I don't really know what it means."

Sheik stared at the two as if they were insane. "You don't know what archaeology is?"

Link smirked. "I'm uneducated."

"Cheat," Igos muttered before saying, "Whatever it is, it wasn't invented in my time."

"It's what Pamela and her workers are doing!" she exclaimed, and winced when her wounds were aggravated. "Digging up the ruins, examining how people lived in your time."

"What, there's a nice fancy word for thieving now?" Igos cried out indignantly, "The _nerve_!"

"No, no, they're supposed to be there to _study_ how you lived when you were alive, using the clues available to them. They see how the housing worked, what the daily routine might have been like, your religion, ceremonies, things like that. Granted, it's awfully like daylight-robbery, and the people who're doing it right now aren't good people, but if you get the right minds together, you'll be amazed but what they can find out, what they can _preserve_."

"Are you asking me to give up my kingdom to these scoundrels, girl?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just... the ghosts are going to attack them anyway, why do you have to prepare for war?"

Igos scratched his skull. "What ghosts?"

"The ghosts from my vision."

Igos made a sound that exuded delight. "A _vision_! Oh I haven't had one spoken to me since I was stabbed to death! Go on, how'd it go?"

"U-um... just, ghosts with scythes drive off the people at your gates."

Igos scratched his chin. "But I don't have any poes under my jurisdiction..."

Link smiled. "That's probably because they'll be the ghosts of the Garo."

"Ooh, now _that_ is juicy info, thank you, my friend. I _knew_ they wouldn't snuff without a last howl. When you think about it, they deserve to fight more than we do, and poes attacking in swarms is less believable than swarms of corpses, huh..."

Link nodded. "It'll keep people away for a few years too; ghosts are way scarier than zombies."

"These... arch, archo-lolo-fists."

The girl corrected the king primly. "Archaeologists."

"Will they carry on the Ikana prestige to generations to come?"

Sheik nodded. "With the right minds, and the right kind of historical documentation, yes."

"Can you _see_ this happening?"

Sheik bit her lip uneasily, before gently tracing a finger in the dusty ground, drawing a line that became a jaw, a nose, eyes, spectacles. The hair followed, a neck, detail on the face. "A man with red hair, a dedication to history that everybody respects, and a dream, he has a dream that his son inherits, because from learning the wonders of your earth, and the magic that lies dormant here, his eyes will turn to the sky. He'll make this land a legend, and many will come to see it. The Fire of Ikana burns for a while yet."

"Cool." Igos stood and dusted himself off, satisfied. "I've met a Shaman, I know for a fact this place will be remembered, and the Garo will take care of the ruffians outside. Any other requests you want answered before I go organise a meeting, Sheik of the Sheikah?"

"I'd... I want to wear the Mask of Regrets."

"You sure?" Link asked, showing it to them both.

"Ooh, that's nasty stuff going on there," Igos commented as Sheik turned pale.

The Third Eye was crying. The line of blood Sheik had traced under it was welling and spilling red tears, as if the regret the mask was about to show was too harsh a thing to reveal, too painful to be forced on any mind, heart, or soul.

* * *

**So yeeeaaah... things happened. I hope. **

**I saved that memory for last because it mashed everything in at once. Did you notice SHeik's slip of the tongue? XD Naughty Sheik! Giving the secret away! Though Link was too confused to catch it... :P**

**So! Here you go, review replies!**

**_Kaze wolf_**: **Here it iiiiiiiss... 0.0 lol. Good to know that it's deep; and it might get even DEEPER! Bwahaha, poor Link and Sheik. As for the plot... It's nearly done. I think. XD Hope you enjoyed this too!**

**_Human Riot_: Definitely. Link is going to obliterate Oni's shrine if he ever gets round to making it. Yeah, Sheik's situation is really messed up right now, and it's going to get even more messed up and confused. You know why? FD gets involved again. XD Stupid God. There's happiness later, I swear, I swear, and hope before that. Lots of hope. Here's this chapter, hoped you enjoyed, and I hope to see your review once more! **

**_Sparty the Bold_: Slow update this time! XD Lol, as soon as bath house is mentioned, you JUST HAVE TO have an awkward moment, right? Igos was determined to orchestrate said moment, the pervy skeleton. And for the cave of ordeals thing, and the dragon, it's not Volvagia. He comes out later though, in abstract. The dragon i wrote in there was something Link defeated... I don't know where. Just somehwere. :P Though paradoxical fun would be fun. **

**_Missing Triforce_: WooooT! Long review!  
-Relief- Glad you liked it! XD I liked writing tha chapter too, made me feel happy for making Link happy. Heehee, zombi apocalypse. I think it SO would've happened if the moon really had crashed into Termina, now that I think about it. The people who survived comes back to a ruined city and then the cursed zombies of ikana hunt them down for freeeesh meeeaaat... oh that's nasty. XD  
-Rift- As for Sheik's head, we'll be going into it a few times later in the story, so we know how she really feels about Link and stuff. So you have that to look forward to! And Link's coping mechanism was always taking down monsters, but he always felt scared later because he was enjoying it too much, and was wondering when he'll turn on people, you know? And he just didn't like advertising it in case people stopped buying his masks. :P But yeah, he's more in terms with it after talking to Oni. Oh, Oni... he LOVES insulting human decency. He thinks its overrated, and not to mention bothersome. You'll see more of that, in like, chapter 19. XD I'm surprised how many people like Jim! I thought everybody would be like, get off her, _mortal_! But no, you guys are all pretty decent about him. I find that really cool, actually. XD  
I'm feeling better, thanks! It got slightly worse, so that's also one of the resons why I updated late. **

**_Dark Lord Link_: And more revelations! Well, at least memories. I hope you enjoyed!**

**_Hatsusen_: Sheik of so little faith, eh? Well, in her defence she still hasn't got up to the part where Link appears, so she's still in the first six years of the lost seven years. But she's close! It's almost confrontation time! Though you have a good point. I mean, come on. He's older, has the fierce deity on his side, and many, many other masks to aid him. Sheik, you silly girl. Believe... believe... (cue scary mask-maker face) lol. As for Oni's sadistic plan, I bet it occured to him to do that, but Link and Sheik actually need to get into the room for him to trap him there (what with being a fallen god he can't physically intervene in the mortal worlds) so I don't think it will be happening. Sorry! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**_Erendan_: Good to know that FD's such a hit with the people! As for the patterns in my romance, you think I should change it? I was thinking of writing another fanfic (after I finish Once Upon a Fairytale, of course) again, a romance, but I'm not quite sure. Love of Red eyes and Love of Blue were the same story only with Link and Sheik's perspectives switching, so, I thought, meh. Just bundle all of Link's perspectives into a single story and be done with it. I also changed the story a little, but yeah. I liked it better that way. Hope you enjoyed this too, and look forward to the romance! **

**_goldenrhino_: Good to know! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**_darkwolflink1_: Glad to know that you're so hyped for this story! I hope you liked this just as much as the last chapter, so yeah! Here it is!**

**_RaeyaKimani_: Alright, before I review reply... did you like? Major threatening of Jim? Cue evil laugh. Yes, totally come to the dark side, where there are hot men, cruel slowmotion laughs, and fun times writing fics on emotionally torturing heroes! XD Sorry, not volvagia, jus a random dragon from his travels. Though volvy does appear later. And Jim's being a bigger jerk! Throw a bigger book at his head. It's okay though, his time will come... And it's okay if you're not a rabid follower of me, becase Andrhats really s a hell of a lot cooler than me. XD **

**_Dragon Xander_: Indeed, praise Oni for being asshole. He invented assholeness, I swear. And Link kicked his bag of masks because he's frustrated with himself, his life seems completely out of his control, and since his masks are his livlihood he kicks them because he can't kick his life. Also, he thinks Sheik's afraid of him because of the mask-making process. It also made it easier for Sheik and Jim to take FD's mask. So yeah. XD I hope you enjoyed this argument, considering it was just Jim going angry and then being threatened for his efforts, lol. And bunny hood gets involved in chapter... 19. So it'll be a while till that appears. Igos and Oni are my favourite characters too! XD True, but it's okay, Link won't go there... hopefully. Thanks for the long review! You sure know how to make me happy! XD**

**Cool! That's everybody. Thanks for coming guys! I hope you keep enjoying and reviewing. **


	15. Return

****

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update I just got back to school. The regular updates were possible because for the last two week sit was mid-semester break, and I just want you guys to know, that without you I would've died because of boredome without the updating and the reviews that lit up my day. So thank you. Thank you very much.

Oh! And we're up to the 150 mark! That is so coooool! Thanks guys! Thank you so much!

So here's the chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**_15- Return_**

She'd grasped the mask between her two hands, staring at the eye that was crying on her behalf. She'd asked to be left alone, and they did so. Link went to pack the rest of his things, to be ready as soon as Sheik and Jim were ready to go. He had a feeling that they would be desperate to be gone, to go home and forget what had happened here. Things hidden had been revealed, darkness unveiled at the wrong times.

Link looked up at the sky and half-heartedly prayed that Furore would save him from this emotional mess.

Jim was already sitting on the front steps, determinedly not looking at him once confirming that Link wasn't Sheik. The Hylian didn't attempt at a conversation. That was a silly thing to do.

She didn't come out for a while. Link let Jim go in to check on her, and they came back together, the girl's face distinctly paler. She too, wouldn't look at him. He wondered what her regrets had been in the Lost Seven years.

Link prayed to Furore whole-heartedly to help her through her emotional mess.

It was fairly late in the day. They entered the well, and Link killed a few tektites that'd sneaked into the comforting dark. The maze was easy to traverse, and Link allowed his travelling companions to go up the ladder first.

When Link emerged, it was sunset, and the men were screaming in their tents.

Link sighed as he leapt down, languidly unsheathing his sword as he streaked into the chaos of poes with scythes, legs a blur. He cut tents open to make it easier for the men to escape. When the poes of the Garo got close to killing, Link promptly stopped it and ran away before he himself got killed. Packs were abandoned. Horses and ponies that'd brought more supplies in for the workers were quickly un-roped and they were given the burden of two workers to take to safety.

Link counted them as they ran away. He headed towards the vague direction of the cliffs, and there Pamela was, fighting off three Garo-ghosts. She was about to take one fatal step back over the cliff, so Link sheathed his sword as he ran towards her, rummaging in a pocket as he charged.

She took that step and fell. Link dived and wrapped his arms around her waist and went down with her.

"Stop screaming!" he ordered her as he aimed his hook shot. The end dutifully clamped onto the dead tree and hauled them back up, and when they settled on the tree, Link dug into his pockets again, pulled out a flute, and played the Song of Storms.

Lightning flashed, and the rain followed soon after. The Garo ghosts stopped and looked up at the sky, not quite sure what to do now. Link jumped out of the dead tree and pulled down the collar of his shirt and tunic, baring the mark of the Garo to them. "If you have some final words, I'm willing to listen. If you still want something to protect, go to Igos du Ikana and he'll help you out. If you want to fight, I'll take you on. That's all I can offer right now."

The Garo hovered, their lanterns dangling from their feet instead of their hands to maximise their use of their scythes. They looked at each other, seemed to converse, and half went to the Castle, the other circled Link, whispering secret words of treasures, dangers, things best left alone in the land of Ikana, and Link drank it all in as one by one lanterns fell and shattered on the ground, the satisfied sighs of the departed ringing in his ears. When he turned back Pamela was gone.

They stayed the night there because of the rain, without speaking a single word to each other.

-,-'-,-'-,-

The next two days were much the same. In the first day they visited Dampe to retrieve Alyssa the pony, and Link stated his thanks to the old man as the teens loaded the creature with their things. They camped on the fields, Link staying up the whole night to circle the camp, slashing chuchus when they got close, shooting down some birds for breakfast.

The others woke up to him having a lively conversation to a Deku-scrub about goods. Link traded some monster claws for some bottles of polish from the merchant before he flew towards Clock Town.

They arrived at the east gate when the sun was low on the horizon. It was mostly half dark when they arrived at the inn, exhausted from the tramp. Link vaguely remembered Anju greeting them, feeding them sandwiches, and sending them to bed. Apparently some of his masks had been sold for good prices. Link was just glad he had a bed to put his head on before blissfully escaping reality.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Once he forced his eyes open and was lucid enough to think, he counted the days they'd spent tramping. One night in the fields, one night at Dampe's, one night to sneak into the castle, next night he used to make a mask, then after the next night they left, spent a night in the campsite after the garo affair, and one in the field. If he didn't include the night he'd just slept through in the inn, it made seven nights.

_Seven_. Din's sake.

Groaning, he rolled out of bed and yawned, rolling his toes and twisting his neck. He scratched his head as he stood and got changed into the clothes he'd left in his ridiculously large bag, gladly taking off the green tunic Igos had given him. He yawned again, blinking slowly. He rubbed his chin and winced. He wondered vaguely whether he should grow a beard to avoid the bother of shaving, and then decided against it. Kids didn't trust bearded men unless they were old, and kids were high on his list of best buyers.

He drunkenly stumbled down the stairs, greeting Anju wearily in the kitchen as he rubbed his eyes. She greeted him back and began to ladle out the morning porridge.

"How are the teens?" he muttered, blinking against the light of day as he sat down in the chair offered. "Any signs of emotional trauma?"

Anju blinked and gave a tired sigh. "Why are you expecting emotional trauma of all things?"

He dumped his head onto the table and groaned. "There was lots of shouting involved before the silent treatment happened on the walk back."

"Link..."

"I'm sorry. I tried to be normal, I tried to be sane. But the living dead got involved, and then a god, and then a mask that I _regret_ making. Thankfully it didn't develop a mind of its own like Majora, but still. I'm an outcast, damn it. I'm not cut out for society."

Anju placed a bowl of porridge beside his head and sat down next to him, sympathetically patting his back. "Did you help Sheik with her dreams?"

Link shrugged as he stared glumly at his breakfast. "So and so. There were a few texts that might be useful; a horde of dead scholars were happy to translate them for her, so that'll be fun for her to study."

"You sound sarcastic."

"Really? Because I'm not even sure anymore, you know, whether I'm being sarcastic. It's not like I can read or anything."

She stood up and rapped the top of his head with her knuckles. "Eat your breakfast."

"Yes ma'am." He promptly dug in, and added, "Oh, and her dreams are just dreams. No apocalypse in sight."

"You should tell Kafei that," she said absently, peeling some fruit, "He's still worried sick."

He should be, Link thought as he swallowed the warm broth. "Do you know how well she slept last night?"

"I didn't."

Link turned round in his seat and there Sheik stood, Jim right behind her. "Morning, both."

Jim scowled. "Why are you here?"

Anju frowned at his rudeness. "He's a guest of the Stock-pot inn, thank you, and as the host I hope you show some respect to my customer."

Link shook his head. "Anju, it's fine-"

"_No it's not_." The woman glared at the Hylian and he cowered and ate his porridge. "That's better. I don't know what happened while you were away but if you're going to argue I rather you wouldn't in this Inn. Now are you two eating breakfast?"

"Yes please," Sheik rubbed her eyes and sat on the far side of the table away from Link. Jim sat opposite her.

"How are your injuries?" the red-haired hostess asked as she set the steaming plates in front of the teenagers. "Still stinging?"

"A little," Sheik admitted, showing her dressed arm, "But it hasn't stopped me drawing."

"You're drawing again? Oh what a _relief_," Anju sighed, placing her hands on her chest, "Kafei will be delighted. Link, thank you for the help."

Link's lip twitched upward as he tried not to look at Sheik, "I didn't do much. Really."

"Yeah," Jim muttered under his breath, snidely.

"Where is that guy anyway?" the Hylian asked, pretending he hadn't heard as Anju gave a disapproving look to the teenager, "I think I'll go to talk to him before I go."

Anju blanched. "What? You're leaving? _Today_?"

"Well, yeah," Link chuckled, "I've done what I could, caused some good damage and scared a few kids. You don't want me chasing away your customers now, do you?"

"But your masks were so popular; thanks to you I made money without people even staying here. Kafei and I have missed you; it's the first time in a long while since you've visited."

"I know, I know. I should come more often. And I will, you'll see."

"No, you should stay _longer_, Link," Anju pressed her fists against her hips and huffed. "You are staying until you are fully rested. And cleaned. And prepared for a safe journey, with supplies. _And_, you should stay for the Carnival of Time; it's on in another few weeks! Your masks will be _wonderful_ for it, I bet you'll have commissions left and right, do you know how many kids are in wanting of masks?"

Link opened his mouth, made a sound, closed it, and shifted in his seat before furtively glancing at Sheik before giving a great big sigh. "Fine, I'll stay. But I'll camp-"

"No."

"But I can't afford-"

"_No_."

"But the fumes from-"

"You should stay," Sheik said, playing with her food. "There's a prize for the best mask made on the Fourth Day. You'll win hands down, and there're other fun stuff to do."

Link turned to look at her, surprise written all over his face as well as Jim's. Then he sighed, dropped his spoon into his now empty bowl, and nodded. "Alright, yes, I'll stay and make some cash from the Carnival. Thank you, both, for your generosity."

Anju nodded happily as she offered him more porridge. "You can stay in the communal room with the performers if that will make you comfortable."

"A crowd that'll happily believe my life-stories for the hell of it." Link remarked dryly, albeit with a smile, "Awesome."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link was wearing the Twins' Mask and was gritting the teeth against the pain, warily opening his eyes on Zelda's wall. He dutifully waited as she finished some business in the actual throne-room, sorting out the things he needed to say.

"Oh hello, Link," Zelda said as soon as she entered the study, "I must say, I'm quite surprised you're contacting me again. Would you like something to eat?"

"As that involves you feeding me, I'll politely decline," Link replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm just calling in to tell you that I won't be coming back for a while, I got myself some jobs as a mask-maker for the Carnival of Time."

"My, my, this is unusual," was the Princess's bewildered reply, "I thought you would have left as soon as you were finished."

"I tried, believe me." Link admitted, looking to the side petulantly, "But Anju got scary over the years. She used to be such a damsel in distress, but I think taking over the business really set her tough and straight. Damn you strong women. I'm a slave to you all."

Zelda laughed. "Don't tell me the reason for your prolonged stay has nothing to do with Sheik."

"Oh God," he groaned, cringing at the very thought of her, "I totally ruined my chances. We ended up going to the Ikana canyons, the living dead got involved, and then the Fierce Deity, and... I think she's dreaming about the Lost Seven Years. Because of a mask I made she got to experience her biggest regret from said years, and I have a feeling it wasn't good for the mind. Her boyfriend hates me, so does she, and I have the _pleasure_ of staying with her for the next few weeks. Self-abuse at its best."

"The technical term is masochism."

"Thank you," he said, not sounding grateful at all, "Thank you so much."

"Do you know what her regrets were from those years?"

"She hardly tells me what's happening in her mind; I don't think she'll open up about her regrets. Besides, I-_ow_!"

Zelda cocked her head to the side in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Somebody pinched me in the arm!" Link indignantly cried out, and then huffed. "I've got to go; it's probably one of Anju's kids. I won't be reporting back again, unless it's in person. This mask hurt's like hell."

"I am well aware," the princess said as she waved goodbye. "But ask her what her regrets were. Perhaps then you'll have your chances back."

-,-'-,-'-,-

He was in her dreams.

Sheik knocked on his door and waited, nervously gripping the Mask of Truth as she guiltily peered round the hallway, hoping nobody would see her. Even though she had an excuse to see him (she'd decided that the mask had a crack) but she didn't want Jim to know she was here. She knocked again but Link wouldn't answer. She _knew_ he was in there, he'd entered only a few seconds ago, she'd followed him up the stairs for Four's sake.

Cursing she turned the knob, and it wasn't locked. "Link, we need to talk..."

He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall, and there was a mask covering his face. It was a simple wooden one, with a mouth stretched down and eyes bulging out, like it was screaming in pain. Sheik shivered at the sight but wasn't particularly scared. She was more annoyed that Link had ignored her. "Link, I know you can hear me. Can you...?"

He was gesturing, as if he was in a conversation. Sheik screwed her face up in confusion and approached him on silent feet, peering at the mask.

The mask had roots, digging into his skin, the wood melded into his flesh.

Sheik winced and quickly looked back at the door, knowing that she should be screaming for help, but this... Link had made this mask, hadn't he? He knew what he was doing, wasn't he?

Knowing she was doing something extremely stupid she gripped a bit of his arm and twisted.

He jumped, clutching his arm against his chest, his head turning this way and that to look for the culprit. Sheik couldn't help but chuckle as his whole body exuded exasperation, shoulders slumping as he raised his hands, the roots and wood of the mask peeling away from his skin as he gripped its sides.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Link muttered as he took off the mask, "I was..."

He trailed off as he saw that the hand that had pinched him didn't belong to a toddler.

Sheik stared at his face, at his eyes and the black slashes that cut around his eye and reached over his cheekbones. It really was him, only younger. Emerging from a blue light, with another blue light following him around, wearing that tunic, and that daft hat.

_Welcome back, Hero of Time_._ I am Sheik, Survivor of the Sheikah._

"Sheik," he managed, breaking the reverie she'd sunk into, "Why did you pinch me?"

"Um," she suddenly wondered whether it would be a good idea to ask him why he was making an appearance in her dreams. If he got the wrong idea... "Because I called a few times and you didn't respond."

Link intelligently replied, "Oh."

"I, I was just wondering," Sheik nervously looked at the mask he'd taken off, which now resembled a yawning face with closed eyes, "What is this mask? It was eating your head."

She half listened to his explanation on the Twins' Mask as she tried to objectively remember what had happened with them and the Fierce Deity. The god said she'd _asked_ for the dreams. In another time, a time that never happened (which made no freaking sense). And Link was in on the secret, if the attitude of the god attested to anything.

And that kiss...

"Sorry if it scared you," Link apologised gruffly, though he eyed her with some reproach, "But you shouldn't walk into people's rooms like that."

She'd turned bright red at the memory, that desperate kiss that she'd enjoyed and revelled in (until the image of Jim in her mind forced her to stop it), and hastily nodded, hoping the embarrassment would be associated with her mild scolding. "I wasn't scared, though. I've seen worse."

He blinked doubtfully before it seemed to click. Then he winced and straightened himself up as he rubbed his face, jadedly peering at her through his fingers. "How are your dreams, though? Better?"

She shrugged, nibbling her lower lip as she told her heart to stop hammering so loudly. "After watching you fight off ghosts and tektites and other things, I figured the dreams can't hurt me, so, yeah, they're better."

Link snorted with some semblance of mirth. "People don't call that better."

She wagged her eyebrows sarcastically. "It's called getting tired of being scared. And they really _can't_ hurt me."

"True," he conceded, before cocking his head to the side. "I was under the impression you didn't want to talk to me anymore. You want to tell me what's going on?"

The blush returned. Sheik thought up a lie. "Do you know if I can talk to Oni? Again?"

He looked mildly appalled as he shook his head. "No. Even if I knew any other way than that door to talk to him, I wouldn't tell you for your own sake. _No_."

"But," Sheik gripped the sheets and took a deep, shuddering breath, to steady her words and thoughts. "My regrets didn't make _sense_."

Link shifted his position, facing her properly. "Well... what did that mask show you?"

"It didn't _show_ me anything, not anything useful, anyway. The Fierce Deity was taunting me and I was snapping at him. I don't know why but it seemed like I knew him, I was talking to him like _you_ were, like I was totally used to it. I was calling him _Oni_, for crying out loud."

"...Go on..."

"I was... I don't know. Defending someone, maybe. Just... it's so confusing! I was saying that it wasn't fair, that I wanted to remember, and he gave me a cup full of... _stuff_, the nightmares, and I drank it. And he made this speech, like he was reciting a contract, only sarcastically, like he was making fun of me. Something about a war, about reliving the Hero's path. You said yourself that you're a Hero-"

"_That_," the adult interrupted calmly but firmly, "Was a private conversation that you put-"

"That's not the _point_, though," Sheik insisted, somehow knowing, somehow _understanding_ that she had him backed into a corner. "What does it mean? Oni said that the Mask was a shortcut, but I've got nothing, just that, to follow the Hero's path, what does it mean?"

She could feel it, almost _see _it, the thoughts racing in his head. He saw his gaze flicker down, and she remembered she'd brought the Mask of Truth with her. Without breaking her gaze from his face she splayed her palm over its surface, and the feeling grew stronger. She sat there, watching him deliberate, the Mask of Truth reminded her of things, things that'd been said, that'd been hinted at.

The Fierce Deity smirking: _I think you can guess in what time, hopper-boy_.

Link shouting: _I bend, shift, travel through time, and yet what I control is my biggest enemy! Hero, my, _arse.

Herself in the dreams: _Welcome back, Hero of Time. I am Sheik, Survivor of the Sheikah._

Link, holding her, combing his fingers through her hair: _I missed you, my wonderful guide._

Again, the Fierce Deity, teasingly speaking in the darkness: _Past tense._

Link with his back turned, muscles tense in pain and shame, fists shaking: _She died_.

His face, curled in disgust, spitting with vindictive spite: _If I did care, it was for _her_._

Of course, she realised with a lurching heart, "Has it... got something to do with the person I look like? The one that... the guide that you miss."

He sucked in a breath that sounded painful, admitting quietly, "You could say that."

"She..." Sheik swallowed, cringing at the very idea that what she would say next would hurt him, "You said she'd died."

He was looking at her almost fearfully, like he was hoping for something that he didn't dare hope for. It terrified her. What did he want her to be? The girl he'd loved? The girl he'd desperately missed for years upon years? How did he expect her to ever compare? She was just a child, a normal child, not some...

It hurt. It hurt to think that this Hero, this wonderful person who'd accepted her for who she was, virtually immediately, saw someone else when he looked at her.

"I... I'm sorry," Sheik backed away, taking the Mask of Truth with her, "I shouldn't have pried into your past, it's... probably all just a coincidence anyway. I'll work it out myself, the Mask of Regrets probably didn't work for me, considering I used my blood to make it work."

A flash of guilt that was covered by a half-smile brushed his face. "...Right."

Sheik hesitated, wishing desperately that he would hold her back, tell her everything about his past, because she wanted to know him, wanted to see him smile, the way he made _her_ smile.

_You have Jim for that_, a snarky voice whispered in her head but she shut it up.

"Sorry for disturbing your conversation with, whoever, you know."

"It wasn't important." He continued to smile that half-smile. "Is there anything else...?"

"Um... Anju's about to go shopping," she offered, holding the Mask of Truth as she stood from the bed, "You were running out of ingredients for your masks, weren't you? She's asking whether you'd like to join her."

He nodded, watching her go. "I think I will. I need to transfer my stuff to the communal dorm first, though. See you in a second."

"See you," she replied before closing the door behind her, not quite sure what she had accomplished from that excursion aside from embarrassing herself and making him act awkward around her. Which, admittedly, wasn't new.

But wasn't there a chance? If she just talked to him, worked things out with Jim, just, _talked_ to him. That shopping trip she'd mentioned, that was a good opportunity, right?

But she didn't get a chance, because as if to avoid her and her questions, Link headed out from the city, armed for a war against the wild.

* * *

**Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun... okay, I know what you guys are thinking. Another sad chapter? _Really_? And what the hell is Link doing? Isn't it _obvious_ that Sheik has feelings for you? You _dunce_!**

**But in my defence, this is his thinking patterns:**

Shit. _Shit. _I shouldn't have said she'd died. In fact, I shouldn't have said a lot of things, but that... that just takes the cake. What was I hoping she's say about her regrets, anyway? That, that she'd wanted to remember the Lost Years because of me? Because she, maybe, _cared_...? Considering that she hasn't commented any more on that Hero thing (I should've been more careful on what I said then too...) it's still not the seventh year.

Gods be damned. What was I going to say, when I made an appearence in her dreams?

I've... I've got to get out of here. I've dived deep into this mess, way deeper than I first thought. I have to clear my head. Get more stuff for my masks, though I have more than enough; time alone should help me think. If I have to confess to her, about me, about everything, I'd rather have a speech prepared in my head.

And if I don't think of something... I'll blame something. Not quite sure what yet, but I'll blame it.

**Yes, Link is sad. MAJOR SAD FACE.**

**But seriously, it gets better for him. I know I've been saying that for preeeetty much every chapter, but it's true. Here, there's even a preview for you guys:**

"What's that there you're holding?" he asked, gesturing vaguely at her sketchbook.

Sheik quickly glanced at the door before handing it to him. "My visions."

He raised his brows as he accepted it from her, surprise written on his forehead. "You're just going to show it to me?"

She shrugged. She wanted him to see them. "You're the only person who accepts my gift."

He snorted derisively at that, making Sheik scowl. "You don't count your family?"

"Mother won't look me in the eyes. Kafei and Anju are understanding, but I still think they want me to get rid of it. Hylians see the future too, don't they?"

Link flipped through the pages, fingertips going over a dog in the night, the carnival in the blur of colours. The Sheikah couldn't help but feel proud when he smiled, seeming impressed with her skill. "The Royal family sometimes has visions, yeah," he murmured, flipping another page. He blinked at a picture that Sheik had to peer over his shoulder to see, and blushed.

"Um, that's just from my imagination."

It was actually from her dreams. Link, pencil-sketched, holding a sword that wasn't the Fairy blade, _without_ the hat because it looked too silly, and thankfully he was turned the other way, so his left cheek (where his tattoos should be) wasn't in their view. The enemy was a black mass of shadow, hinting at fire, claws, glowing eyes, a snakelike body wreathed in char.

He looked sick. "I'm smiling."

"Yeah," Sheik admitted, "Because you look best when you're smiling."

Link laughed without mirth. "Don't you find it disturbing that I find slaughter entertaining?"

Sheik shrugged. "No."

He looked at her, sharply, clearly incredulous at her admission. "It worries me that you genuinely sound honest about that."

Sheik smiled, happy that she'd surprised him in a good way. "It's because you don't enjoy slaughter, you enjoy the _fight_. I spar too, you know, and I can understand that. I'm in it more for the exercise and the weapons I get to use, but you _lived_ with it, right?"

His expression was almost relieved as he looked at the picture of himself, then her. "...Yeah."

Her heart hammered at his fond gaze. She grinned like a child, unable to help it. He'd gotten used to her red eyes so fast. Like he'd seen them before...

**See? See? That's good, right? Okay, admittedly this comes after some angsty moments, but it's still nice. And there's more Pamella, and Fierce Deity's story gets fleshed out. And Origin stories, as well as... yeah, I'll ruin the surprise, so I won't say anything else. Oh, and though the dragon in the cave or ordeals wasn't volvagia, the sketch was. Made especially for Volvagia fans (it was Bongo Bongo at first)**

**Now for review replies!**

**_k-shee_: Congrats on the end of exams! I'm glad to have you back, man! But, oh god, I've got my own exams to worry about in the early november days... damn. I am terribly sorry, but there will be no point-blank moment where Jim will know Link's the Hero of Time. Link doesn't want people to know, and the skeletons respect that. Hence why they stuck to the Hero of Masks. Oh, but be excited for when Sheik realises just how much she meant to him and him to her. That scene I'm rewriting to make it flow better (again) but that's worth something. I hope! Though it WOULD be Crowning moment of awesome/funny if Igos was the one to explain it, eh. ...Spitstone, huh... I LIKE IT. Bwahahaha. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this, and see you in next chapter, yeah?**

**_AC_: Thank you for your comments! I'm glad that you enjoyed the story even if you didn't so much like the characters. So I hope you keep reading, and if so, I look forward to more of your reviews. :)**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Yay! Good to know that fancies have been tickled! XD Sorry the update came later than I intended, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. **

**_Erendan_: Okay, lol, it's good to know that this isn't so head-bangingly depressing, because I was beginning to worry that it might. Hence the preview, to make sure you guys know that i'm not a completely sadistic female-dog. XD The update was a little longer than expected, so sorry about that. i hope Starcraft2 kept you afloat! XD**

**_darkwolflink1_: Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you-Thank-you! What else is there to say?**

**_Kazewolf_: True, bit of a filler chapter, but then again, this one was pretty much a filler too. But you know things happen in the next one, so yay? Um, nah, Jim won't bother Link anymore. He's a bit freaked out, wants life to go back to normal, and he wants Link out of his life, life, pronto. So he's a little dissappointed that Link's not going yet. harhar. Yeah. The mask decided that it would be too mcuh for her, so it didn't show her the regret, but _how_ she ended up getting the dreams instead. It had enough clues as to her regrets anyway, but yeah... it only confused her. **

**_Airian Reesu_: Yep. Thankfully we don't have to listen to him anymore, YAY. Thank you, it was like, my favourite cutscene, so I wanted to do it justice. If Link ever found out what happened between Oni and Sheik, he would NOT be happy with his god AT ALL.**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Yep, it is coming to a close, this story. Pretty much five more chapters to go. Um... as for the Garo incident, there wasn't much of it considering I didn't really want to focus on it, sorry. But there is, like, more proper Pamella in the next chapter, as mentioned before. Hopefully I'll get a (:O) face out of you guys for what happens. XD Um, yeah, Seven deadly sins. I thought, hey, Seven year sleep, seven deadly sins, it fits! Why not? And I've justified it, I think, in the next chapter, so bear with me on that, okay? I can see where you're coming from, and that's fine. But yeah, couldn't resist. And the memory, Sheik kissed Link on the cheek. There was nothing more than that, so yeah. But Link was still stoked at the time. He thinks about it now and he sees the possibility that it could've been a sisterly gesture, so yeah. If they'd actually kissed I think Link would be more forthcoming about his feelings towards her. So yeah, the 'greeting' Oni forced Link and Sheik to do really was the first time they kissed. I hope that cleared that up, because I totally agree with you: it would be wierd if Link and Sheik had kissed in the Lost Seven years. And it'd totally ruin the tension for the first kiss. :P Hope you liked the update! **

**_Missing Triforce_: Sorry, the mask didn't show it. Just how it came to be, with lots of little (useless) hints. I mean, if the two had TALKED IT OUT they'd be fine, but no. Stupid Link, and Stupid Sheik. GOD. The power of exuberence should be saved for later! It'll be so forth it, hopefully. And that is a goooood point. The Sheikah betrayal would be an interesting regret to show. I'll keep that in mind for another story. And I love the scenario you built for Jim and Link; it's ACTUALLY plausible. It would be so hilarious if it happened. I think a little of the two scenarios mixed together is what I have planned for him. Oh, they were planning to leave anyway, because they got what they wanted; they just had to leave in a HURRY because of Jim's comments. So that's how Igos knows their leaving. Yeah, you're right Link _was_ going to open that door for her and show her the insides, but then he decided not to. She was seeing the dreams anwyay, so he thought he might as well let her see it in her own time; he still had some hope.  
Stupid move, Link, STUPID MOVE.  
Thanks for warnings of plot-holes! Hopefully there won't be any left after this. ;)**

**_goldenrhino_: I was thinking the ghosts from TP. They really appealed to me cuz they're just sadistically cool. Good point. But I think after a few years with the king telling them to SHUT UP kinda made them agree to hate the world together, in their different ways. **

**_Human Riot_: Heheheh, yup, confusion galore for Sheik. poor girl. As for Fierce Deity, he's mentioned later, but this is officially all the screen shot he gets. Oh no wait I lie. I forgot the second to last chapter. He'll appear in that. :P And Link gets more sadface! Sheik too! Sadface party, anyone? 3; Sorry for the hope false-alarm, but the next one's for real! The preview is proof! **

**_Steviedude12_: In case you didn't find it (it was a very small slip of the tongue) Sheik pretty much said Zelda told him to stay back, when in fact she told him to stay back, hence, Sheik and Zelda are the same person. But Link would never catch that. lol. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and to see your review again!**

**_DragonXander_: Anger rides over fear! Woot for anger! And adrenalin_. _Yeah, Jim's an average joe. His courage is like a _gnat's_ compared to Link's. Oh man, thank you so mcuh for your kind words. It really made my day when i read it. XD And your right, LOZ is awesome like that. That cutscene happens before the Shadow temple, and that regret as well as the light temple and seeing Sheik die thing is pretty much why Link couldn't stop loving Sheik. Poor guy. Yeah, King tut wouldn't happy, though I suppose thanks to the archaeologists his name's probably better remembered than any body elses... It's so nice to know that my story's worth rereading! Thank you! **

**_hyliandragon_**:** thank you for your numerous reviews! I had to get Link in a tunic. I had to. Or else it wouldn't be loz, lol. So glad that you find this enjoyable, and I hope to see your reviews here again! **

**So that's everyone! Wow it's 12:30 at night, and i've got uni tomorrow. Well, I'll post this up, check it in the morning, and I'll be crossing my fingers for your reviews!**

**Thanks again for topping 150!**

**Spiritual Stone**


	16. Religion

**Hey guys! Sorry the update was late. In my defence, I've been having a terrible time looking for a job, a place to stay, found one and rejected it in the end, and there was a family melt-down as well. Funny how I would drop dead before telling any of these things to my friends face to face but I'm posting it up on the freaking internet for everybody to see. Anonymity is an amazing thing. **

**Anyway...**

**Hope you like!**_ – Religion_

**_

* * *

16_**

On his fourth day in the wild, on the way back to Clocktown, Link was camping in the fields with his many body parts of monsters, all preserved and cleansed for his mask-making. He was cooking himself dinner when a sensuous voice slunk into the firelight, followed by a woman that matched the voice beyond perfectly. "My Hero."

He looked up from his cooking dinner and squinted. "Pamela? You look... different."

The young woman was in a longish tunic, leggings and sensible boots. Her hair glinted in the light like glass, and in the feminine clothes her snide knowledge of her attractiveness made her all the more alluring. She pouted, dropping her camping pack beside his as she sidled up to his side, "Is it the skirt? Or is it the time of night?"

Link gave a miserable sigh as he turned his birds. "What are you doing out here?"

"Considering my options," she shrugged, rummaging in her side pouch to produce some bread, "What with my archaeological project going up in flames, literally, I don't have much of a vocation right now. I mean, the Ikana canyons were all I knew."

"That doesn't explain why you're walking round in the middle of nowhere," he reminded her, as he offered her the bird to trade for the bread.

"I saw your light," she chuckled, taking off her boots and wiggling her toes near the fire, biting into the warm meat, "And I always find inspiration in the stars."

"Huh." Link chewed and didn't say much else. The young woman huffed at the inattention before sighing and making him turn around.

"I wanted to thank you." She said, looking up at him with a small smile, "For saving me."

The Hylian shrugged again. "It was no big deal."

"Not for me." Much to his shock she hugged him, and Link awkwardly returned the embrace once he put his food down. Personality aside, Pamela was still a ragingly attractive lady. "When I fell, I was so sure I was a goner. It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen in my life, but... you looked stunning, wreathed in those souls."

"Speaking of," Link added, patting her back, "Where did you go after that? We would've helped you back to Clocktown."

"I had to make sure my steed was alright," she responded as she pulled away, gently stroking his cheek. Link opened his mouth to comment but his words took a break, as her thumb stroked his lip, her gaze never wavering from his eyes. He knew what was coming, he should probably stop it, _really_, but he had no real reason to...

They kissed. Link shifted his hold on her, pulling her closer as one hand went to comb through her hair while the other went south. She eagerly deepened the kiss, moving supple lips against his rough ones. His heart thudded in a slow, thunderous roll as she straddled his lap, pressing her torso against his, and when they pulled away he sighed, cocking his eyebrow as he tucked her fringe behind her ear. "Is this going where I think it's going?"

"If you'd like to." She hummed smugly, grinning with her eyes half-lidded. But her gaze suddenly softened as she laid her hand over where his heart would be, looking sheepish. "My husband died, just over a year ago."

His heart lurched, and he was sure she had felt it. "You were _married_?"

"For just under two years. He worked with antiques. I had the eye, and he was the dealer. It was a fever from a cut, trying to fix this stupid rusty cabinet. I've been... so very lonely..."

Almost pensively she was undoing her shirt, and heat spiked in all the right places in Link's body. He nonetheless eyed her sceptically. "You're going to imagine I'm him, aren't you."

Her expression was sad as she sighed. "I might. I don't know-"

She yelped as Link lifted her up, leaving their food behind in the cold. Link set her down on the bed-roll and kissed her, travelling down her neck, making her gasp in the dark. "S-so... you don't, ah, mind...?"

Link spoke as he removed his shirt. "As long as you don't mind me doing the same."

Pamela burst out laughing and Link silenced it with his mouth. He closed his eyes and kept them closed, calling out a name in his mind that wasn't Pamela's, pretending that the hair he breathed in was brown-blond, the skin tanned instead of pale, desperately imagining the lips he kissed belonged to a girl with the eyes that'd haunted him for an eternity.

-,-'-,-'-,-

The dawn found him alone in bed. The cold crawled over his skin, making him shiver, his body reacting to last night's act with shame. He got dressed and stepped outside, where Pamela was stoking the fire and warming some wrapped bread in the ashes, and she smiled at him in the half light, drawing a sheepish smile out of him too. "Why so early?"

"Papa used to wake me, to watch the Gibdo go back to sleep. It's been a habit since then."

Link sat next to her, rummaging in his bag and giving her the rest of his supplies. "I'll reach the town by the end of today. You should have this."

She cocked an eyebrow as she took the food. "What makes you so sure I was leaving?"

"You were going the wrong way if you were going home."

She gave a conceding grunt, packing the gift away. Link curiously watched her and sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"I was going to ask you, actually," she replied, pursing her lips as she turned to look at him, "You've seen places. A girl has to make a living, and her most recent one's been taken off her. I may have been going about it the wrong way before, so tell me: where can I go find items that I can study to my heart's content without activists like you bothering me?"

Link was about to roll his eyes and tell her to bugger off when a place occurred to him, a place that still haunted him still and definitely deserved a good ransacking. He grinned.

"Did you know that there was this religion, a cult, dedicated to the preservation of the soul?"

A confused, "...Huh?"

"The thing is, the Soul is immortal. It just is. Once, say, I die, my soul would leave my body to spread in the earth, merging with other souls from other dead creatures, and one day find itself born in another Hylian, or a Zora, or hell, even a tree."

Pamela tossed her hair over her slim shoulder and frowned. "Where is this lecture going?"

"A place where you can ransack for some goods. Now pay attention." Link mock scowled before carrying on with a grin, "Now, most would say that that doesn't count as immortal, because you still die, and you lose the traits in the mind and heart that make you, _you. _Now, a couple of barmy necromancers founded this religion in the name of the Mad God. Their goal was to gain immortality, and they eventually did it by forcing souls into things that don't die, that mean something, that have power over the mind. _Masks_."

A now interested, "Huh..."

"After a few failed attempts, they had an immortal leader, and of course they got cocky. They waged wars, kept winning, and demanded sacrifices from the defeated. Food, livestock, animals, even children. They devoured what they could and, as for the living sacrifices, they put their souls into masks and wore them to gain their power and livelihoods, scaring their minions like nothing else. I _heard_, that a few years ago, one of the mask-makers' apprentices went rogue and burnt the place down, and left the villagers to do what they pleased with the bastards. I'm pretty sure they were killed."

A knowing glance followed the smirking, "Huh."

"I'm also pretty sure that their so-called church is abandoned. They were pretentious gits, so their masks of rank were inlaid with all manners of jewels, and precious metals. Don't wear the masks, just ransack them, study them, burn them, do whatever you like."

"Where is this church of yours?"

Link handed her a map, and they ate in companionable silence. She helped him pack his tent

away, and he gave her a quick hug and blessing before they separated ways.

She asked two questions before she fully turned her back. "What was this Cult's name?"

Link gave a wry smile and said, "Messiahs of Majora."

"And who do you really want?"

He hesitated before saying, "Someone I have no chance with."

"My advice to you," she said as she waved goodbye, "Is to grab her while she's still alive."

-,-'-,-'-,-

The Mask-maker got back just before the inn closed. And he stank.

"Link," Anju glowered, pointing at the bathroom, "_March_!"

"Yes ma'am," Link saluted cheerfully, lugging his large bag over his shoulder, "Just let me put my things by my bags. You won't _believe _the stuff I got this time around."

"Oh dear," the redhead fretted as he limped out of his shoes, "What did you _do_ this time?"

The man laughed. "The Gorons needed some help with pest control. I found the reason why the dodongos were so agitated, and god that was an _extraordinary_ creature. I'll describe it to you; I didn't even have to kill it. Hi Kafei. I'm back, just like I promised."

The addressed man was in the lounge area, enjoying the fire. The old man sighed as he eyed the young man with something akin to despair. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

Link's cheery mood dampened a little because of the older man's tone. "It's... it's the only thing I'm good at, and the things I scavenge off them makes my masks sell well. Without those buggers... I'm nothing. Anyway, I'll go take my bath now, and I'll tell you all about it after. Anju, I found some feathers for you; you'll be amazed."

He left to do just as he said, and the old couple looked at each other. They nodded.

-,-'-,-'-,-

"Here you go," Link said, handing over the fist-sized rock that held a sliver of orange topaz gleaming in its heart, "Keep it warm in the fire and it'll keep away winter sickness, at least the worst kind." He grinned at Anju's look of wonder. "You won't have to worry about your kids getting pneumonia ever again, as long as they sit by this fireplace. And it'll do wonders for your customers, especially the merchants and the old."

Anju held the pebble in her hands like water, afraid that it might spill away between her fingers. "Link... we can't accept this..."

"Of course you can," the Hylian grinned, "You've done it just by believing the story. Which _is_ true, the story I mean, just so you know. And it's less creepier than the blue fire I gave you all those years ago. Is it still working?"

"You have no idea how long milk lasts when it's chilled, and it's a delight in summer," Anju gushed, grinning ear to ear, "We only shared the secret with the Milk Bar, we kept it all a-hush but it finally got out and you have _no idea_ how eager the other inns and taverns were to have blue fire of their own."

"The merchants that brought them over," Kafei added as he sucked on his pipe, "Sold them for horrific prices; it was daylight robbery at its worst. They wouldn't tell how to maintain it either, so we ended up helping out our very rivals. You saved us a lot of money, my friend."

"Compared to this," Link pointed at his newest finding, "Blue fire's common as daisies."

"Then we should be paying for it." Kafei declared, waving his pipe, "How much?"

Link laughed and shook his head. "You can't put a price on an Ouroboros's tear. It's a _gift_."

The greying mayor frowned. "You can't seriously expect us to take something so precious off you scot-free?"

"Come on," the young man shrugged, "It's me. I like giving stuff to people I like."

Anju smiled sweetly. "Then the rest of your stay is free. You're a guest and friend, not a customer. It's our gift to you."

Link cheekily stuck out his tongue. "I've already paid in advance."

"Which I used, in turn, to pay for your wood and your paints for your mask-making while you were away. I took the liberty of buying the things off your 'To Buy' list that you helpfully left in this room before you headed off for monsters." Anju's wicked grin widened. "Not one cent of it has so far gone into use for this inn."

The young man gawked at the audacity of this middle-aged woman and huffed. "Touché."

Kafei violently cleared his throat, making the Hylian jump a little. "My boy, Anju and I have been discussing something between ourselves, and we'd like to hear what you think about it."

"...Me? Um, did I, _do _something upsetting...?"

"No, nothing like that." Anju assured, "We were wondering if you were ever planning on settling down."

Unease drifted into his voice. "Settle...?"

"Buying a house? Has that ever occurred to you?"

"Um..." Link had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was going.

"What about marriage? Do you have anyone in mind?"

Bull's-eye.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Sheik had brushed her teeth, had finished her latest sketch and was about to go to bed when she caught sight of Link staring into space as he chewed on his late dinner. He was sitting on the table of the kitchen, feet dangling over the floor; he didn't notice the caterpillar crawling on his knee. He swallowed the bun, clicked his tongue and continued to stare at the far wall.

Sheik knocked on the door frame, "Are you alright?"

He found her standing there, and blinked. Common sense reminded her that she shouldn't be in a man's presence in her nightgown, but she ignored it and sat next to him as he cleared his throat. "I'm fine. Just... your brother and sister gave me a talking to. It's like I'm ten again."

She grinned, clutching her sketchbook against her stomach. "How old _are_ you, anyway?"

"Twenty four," he muttered grudgingly, "Seven years older than you."

"...Oh," she hadn't realised he was that much older than her. He looked... timeless, especially with that tattoo, she never would've guessed, but she wasn't surprised now that she knew.

But still, seven years? She blinked. Seven years... that phrase rang a bell...

"What's that there you're holding?" he asked, gesturing vaguely at her sketchbook.

Sheik quickly glanced at the door before handing it to him. "My visions."

He raised his brows as he accepted it from her, surprise written on his forehead. "You're just going to show it to me?"

She shrugged. She wanted him to see them. "You're the only person who accepts my gift."

He snorted derisively at that, making Sheik scowl. "You don't count your family?"

"Mother won't look me in the eyes. Kafei and Anju are understanding, but I still think they want me to get rid of it. Hylians see the future too, don't they?"

Link flipped through the pages, fingertips going over a dog in the night, the carnival in the blur of colours. The Sheikah couldn't help but feel proud when he smiled, seeming impressed with her skill. "The Royal family sometimes has visions, yeah," he murmured, flipping another page. He blinked at a picture that Sheik had to peer over his shoulder to see, and blushed.

"Um, that's just from my imagination."

It was actually from her dreams. Link, pencil-sketched, holding a sword that wasn't the Fairy blade, _without_ the hat because it looked too silly, and thankfully he was turned the other way, so his left cheek (where his tattoos should be) wasn't in their view. The enemy was a black mass of shadow, hinting at fire, claws, glowing eyes, a snakelike body wreathed in char.

He looked sick. "I'm smiling."

"Yeah," Sheik admitted, "Because you look best when you're smiling."

Link laughed without mirth. "Don't you find it disturbing that I find slaughter entertaining?"

Sheik shrugged. "No."

He looked at her, sharply, clearly incredulous at her admission. "It worries me that you genuinely sound honest about that."

Sheik smiled, happy that she'd surprised him in a good way. "It's because you don't enjoy slaughter, you enjoy the _fight_. I spar too, you know, and I can understand that. I'm in it more for the exercise and the weapons I get to use, but you _lived_ with it, right?"

His expression was almost relieved as he looked at the picture of himself, then her. "...Yeah."

Her heart hammered at his fond gaze. She grinned like a child, unable to help it. He'd gotten used to her red eyes so fast. Like he'd seen them before...

"U-um," she scratched her chin, thinking of her dreams, how they'd shared a meal and tussled in the grass, "You said the Royal Family have visions. They have red eyes too?"

"No," Link grinned, fiddling with his gauntlets, "There's a difference, but I'll have to get into origin stories that'll take forever to explain."

"A story before bed seems fitting," Sheik teased, though that wasn't quite the words she wanted to use. She was an _adult_, damn it, and she wanted to advertise as such.

A pang of guilt over Jim beat at her chest but she quelled it.

Link blew his fringe from his eyes and looked at the ceiling, collecting his words. "A long, long time ago, the world was a mass of chaos and brutality, where no life lived, or if it did, it was just as savage and ruthless as the land it lived upon."

Sheik gave a puzzled, "Eh?"

Link closed his eyes. "It had been under the rule of the Mad God, who had no empathy on the mortal planes. He left the land to torment another, and it was upon this ruined place that the goddesses decided to build their legacy."

He could hear her breathe, the soft scratching of her fingernails against the paper; he could smell the soap from her hair and skin, the freshness of her clothes. He felt her shift her weight, and the hum of her voice running through the tabletop. "I know the rest of the story. Din tilled the earth, Nayru wrote the laws, and Furore made the life to uphold the laws. So?"

Link smirked. "The life Furore made was incomplete; they roamed freely without purpose, they lived without goals, there was such a lack of _interest_ the Three could garner from the creatures, they set about giving them gifts. The spirit form all denied, for fear of losing themselves. The forest-folk smelt their own scents, their flowers, their leaves, and they loved it. Those who preferred the breath of the sea gave birth to Zora. Those who favoured the taste of the earth began the line of the Gorons. The Gerudo came from their love of sensations, of rough sand, soft cloth, the heat and cold of the desert. And finally the last heard the song of the heavens and sang right back, basking in the sound the goddesses' work. So the Hylians were born with their long ears, to hear the songs of the heavens, and their warnings too."

Sheik stopped swinging her legs, and frowned. "Warnings?"

"The Mad God wasn't finished." Link muttered darkly, opening his eyes again. "He came back, and was _pleased_. He had new subjects to taunt, to test and toy with, to torture and torment. His clouds billowed over the sky, void of light and life. The Goddesses worked together and formed a Son, a Fierce Deity that would fight the Mad God off."

Sheik was smiling. He was sure of it. "I suppose he succeeded?"

"He doesn't insist on being called the Great One for nothing," Link snorted, chuckling, "The battle was an awesome one. Seven days, months, years, _eons_, who knew how long the battle lasted. But the Deity won, tore a rift in the very earth the Mad God had loved to plunder, and shoved him into his eternal prison. He still lingers there now, maddened further by his defeat and disgrace. So from time to time he instils one mortal with his essence, to persuade the soul to conquer the land in his stead.

"Now, back to the main point: The Hylian Royal family claim to be the direct descendents of

the first Hearers, though that sounds cooler in the ancient language. That's why Prophecy is so strong in the royal family. Princess Zelda, current ruler of Hyrule, has a pretty strong gift, but it's hard to tell she has a gift at all, because of some differences you have with her. Your visions are random, happens while you're awake, and concentrates on individual futures. Princess Zelda, on the other hand, sees visions in her sleep, and they're only about calamity on a mass-murdering scale, considering they come straight from the goddesses."

She was looking at him with some scepticism. How could he know for sure that she wasn't seeing the future? "You believe every word of that?"

"That would be stupid." Link rolled his eyes. "I believe the Goddesses exist in some shape or form. There might not be three of them, and they might not be women. But the Fierce Deity sure as hell exists, and I never intend to cross him, ever. He's insane."

He heard her return to her sketch book, even as she asked, "What did he do to get kicked out of the skies, then?"

"He got bored," Link shrugged, closing his eyes again, "He was sick of the harmony the races lived in. After fighting the Mad One, he was restless. He wanted a war, so he orchestrated one. Wrath was born. The winners plundered the losers' lands. Greed. You get the idea. And the very last sin, Lust, came to be when he touched the earth with his very own feet, and fell in love with the first woman that was completely _terrified _of him but still had enough cheek to stand her ground, while crying. Supposedly."

Sheik's voice was puzzled. "But wouldn't that be a good thing? Falling in love?"

"He threw her husband off a cliff."

"...Ah."

"Not to mention his sense of love is... a little different from us. He's changed for the better, according to him."

She paused. She leaned back to stare at him, looking completely baffled. "You mean _he_ told this to you? The God himself?"

Link shrugged. "I thought his mask was cursed, so I tried to undo it. I got to meet him, got myself beat in a duel, and I learnt that he was the one responsible for my fighting talent." he pointed at the slashes round his eye, wryly. "This was pretty much my way of saying thanks."

"Did he say what happened to the girl?"

"He wasn't so clear about it," Link admitted, "So for all I know she committed suicide to avoid him, or he killed her, or maybe they did get together, with some serious persuading on his part. I guess gods can get a little touchy about their pasts..."

Sheik nodded, before cocking her head to the side. "Where do the Sheikah get involved?"

"I don't know. He never mentioned you till I saw him again, in that Chamber."

She gave a soft 'hmm' of contemplation before easing away from him, and for the first time he was aware of her hand brushing his own, only because her heat was leaving him.

Link knew this was utterly ridiculous but... was she _flirting_ with him?

"Sheik." She turned around at his call, and waited for him to continue. "My... old friend. Who looks like you."

She blushed, probably remembering the kiss he'd forced on her, and nodded.

He sighed, ruffling his hair. "If you're feeling guilty over a past that doesn't concern you, don't. If you're forcing yourself to talk to me because you feel some sort of obligation to, I don't want your pity. You may _look_ like the girl from my past, but you aren't her."

"I... I know," Sheik murmured, gripping her sketchbook, "But I still... I'd still like to know you, and, well, if it's alright with you, can I... help making your masks?"

"It's tiring work."

She determinedly glared at him. "I'd like to help, please."

Link sighed, smiling wryly. "I start tomorrow. You better be prepared."

The smile that bloomed on her lips was genuine, melting the ice that he'd been so desperately building round his heart to keep her away, as her playfulness returned. "Sir, yes, sir!"

* * *

**Pamella is a wonderful example of half-baked psychology. She hates the dead because of what happened to her dad and he put her through, but she can't do without because of the way she grew up. Antiques, things of age and dead civilisations, end up becoming her trade. With her deceased husband in her mind she ransacks her father's work to a) seek revenge, b) make a living from the antiques she gets out of it, and c) perhaps find a way to bring her husband back, but (C) is just in the back of her mind. So if you think the first part of this chapter doesn't sit well with you because her character doesn't seem to fit, **

**I don't blame you. XD**

**Oh, someone asked me once whether Link lived a life of celibacy because of his situation with Sheik. This chapter was meant to answer that question, lol.**

**Anyway! Things are getting better for Link and Sheik, no? And the next few chapters pretty much stay that way too, that is, till I get bored and torture them again. Which I have done. Lol, lol, lol. **

**Review Replies!**

**_Erendan_: Thanks for pretty much each and every one of your compliments! It so makes my day. Hee, I'm glad I put that thought process at the end. Considering how the rest of the story is completely in Link's point of view, I thought it might be necessary for the sake of ortraying his self-imposed anguish, (Bwahaha) Anyway, here's the update for ya, sorry it was late. **

**_Goldenrhino_: You're absolutely right, and to a degree, I agree with you on the point that Jim should get more of the lime-light and he should be expressed. But yeah, sadistically speaking, he's way too easy to torture. Link, I can mess with through his emotions. Sheik, I can mess with through her head. Jim? I could mess with him any which way, so... writing in his perspective didn't appeal to me. Not to mention predictable. But I'm glad that you liked Jim and his semi-antagonistic position in the fic. Too bad the next time he shows up he's going to be sad...**

**_John Thomas Warp-Dueson_: I so wouldn't have beat MM without the Walkthrough and all the masks. Without the Fierce Deity, I would've died. Continuously. And thank you! I'm glad you enjoy this so mcuh! I hope this chapter lived up to your excitement thus far.**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Good to know! XD Here's the chapter, and I hope you liked it!**

**_StevieDude12_: The typo has been fixed! Now Link pretends not to hear Jim's muttering as Anju glares at Jim, or something along those lines. Thanks for the heads up! Hey, grammar Nazi though you may be, you're a POLITE grammar nazi. There aren't enough of those throughout the internet.**

**_Human Riot_: I know, right? And all he had to do was ask her, 'Do you remember?' or 'Would you believe me if I told you a ridiculous story?' and Sheik would've definitely said YES. Or she could've asked him, 'Will you tell me what happened?' Link would've tried to try and get out of it, fail, sigh, and then reluctantly spill his guts. COME ON, GUYS! Gosh. And don't worry, you get to see what she saw because of the mask. I hope you like!**

**_darkwolflink1_: Dark is coming back one more time, and he's done, sorry! But his personality is further fleshed out, and he really is a git. XD Thank you so much for liking tis story! I hoped you liked this chapter too!**

**_V musicka_: It's okay, I'm just glad you're back! XD Yeah, true, the raiders really were obsolete. They were there to flesh out Link's feelings about the dead and his business, not to mention form a foundation for the scene at the top of this chapter, so... the raiders had a surprisingly small role in this story, lol. Yay! And Sheik's personality get's even more fleshed out! Oh, isn't this exciting? XD Unfortunately for the Carnival of Time, I don't do it justice. If I ever make a fic fully deidcated to it, I'm pretty sure I can get a good feel for what it'd be really like, but in this fic... not so much. Still I hope you'll still like it. **

**_darklinktwin_: Woah! Long review! Hahaha, yay, I'm loved! Yes, Sheik and Link are silly, yes, Sheik will dump Jim soon (not soon enough in my opinion), I've finished writing this and posting them on a fairly regular basis, instead of writing as I go, which is what I usuaully do. After this I'm updating Once Upon a Fairytale, so you should check that one out. It's personally one of my favourites. Sheik'll force him to learn to read, and you'll see why. I usually take three days to post a chapter but that hasn't been working out recently. But definitely within the week. Thank you for such an enthusiatic review, and I hope you review this one too!**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Oh my god you are so right, lol. It's great (and hilarious) how bluntly you described the Garo part, and after your comments, and after I read it again through your eyes, I totally agreed. It was a pretty shoddy job of a cutscene. I must've been tired or put-off when I was writing that or something. I was going to rewrite it and tell you I had done so and excite you with my efforts to better it, but... yeah. Been depressingly busy. So maybe I'll do it some other time, I don't know. But thank you for your honesty. So very, very much.  
...So... did you like my in-story Seven Deadly sins? I thought it fit, but... I could use your honesty. And Jim. Oh Jim. He'll get what he deserves, eventually. XD**

**_Me_: Oh man, thank you! It's awesome that people think so highly of my fics! I hope you got to read and enjoy this chapter too, so yeah. Thanks again!**

**_Missing Triforce_: Heya! Thank you. It makes me soooooo happy to see you guys' reviews, so it's a mutual feeling! XD Ahaha, yay for Sheik, getting a good, close look at Link's body. Drool material, people. And no, Termina doesn't have a Hero of Time. They have the Four Guardians for apocalyptic situations. And in Shiek's defence, she thinks she's just a wannabe, destined to be mundane and boring for the rest of her life, even if she doesn't want it to be that way. Poor girl. GET OUT OF THAT DENIAL WOMAN! As for the MM story, Jim remembers it. Vaguely, but he still remembers the moon in the sky, and though he wasn't scared at the time, in retrospect he realises how messed up that was. Sheik was a baby, not to mention injured, and not in town, so she doesn't get it. Thanks for the hot-chocolate! I sip with great warmth. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**_Yuja_: Hey, as Long as you review I'm happy as a... hm... a cake being baked. Yeah... lamer rhyme. Thank you! Wow, I'm glad you think i work so well with my characters! I love Shink, so it's good to know I work well with it. The problem is I do it so often that I sometimes wonder they all have the same personality. Heh, I like Anju too. A lady who has enough guts to believe in her man when the moon's about to crash down, she's BOUND to gain attitude over the years. XD And thank you for reinforcing the comment about THE dead tree. Some writers (like me) tend to be stubborn and try to weasel out of their mistakes by putting on lame excuses about stuff (like THE tree) so yeah, it's good to see second opinions in reviews. Anyway, thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

**_reading turtle_: Yay! Glad I get people hooked on this thing! As for the Mad God, his first appearence happens in the TP verse, but that's just a new name for Ganondorf. But I decided, nah, Ganondorf's not good enough to be a God, so I made the Mad God a separate entity, a new thing for my take on Zelda lore. **

**_Dragon Xander_: Ahaha, Jim. He's not going to be coming up for a while, sorry lol. :P And there'll be one more Oni/Sheik convo, but that'll be it. And it's chapter 18, so you'll have to wait a bit. And don't worry, though there will be some roses, there will be plenty of Link bashing himself up with his useless thinking. Ahaha! Nice work! Alright, I've done my part R&Ring, so your turn!**

**_Lady Kurina_: Yay, new reviewer! Hello! Yeah, sure, you can have my gods. XD Good to know that I'm not the onyl one who takes sadistic pleasure out of hurting my characters. **

**Wow that was a lot of reviews! Tahnks guys!**


	17. Respite

_**Hey guys! **_**Man, updated on time, for once! Aren't I awesome? lol. Though I'm in the uni library as I type, supposedly doing, like, three assignments at the same time. Four, actually, if you include this update as an assignment as well. **

**Oh god I fail at academics...**

**A****ny way, in this chapter there is, Mask-making, flirting, worrying, and then some more. Poor Link. Bwahahahaha. Irony of the chapter is that the title means 'Rest'. Respite just sounds cooler. ****

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17

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**– **Respite

When the dawn was beginning to put the stars to sleep, Link was stirring his vat of molten chalk, ground shells and tektite bones over a fire he'd built just outside the south gate, seriously considering what Anju and Kafei had said the other day. On one side of him were his masks, piled high on the ground. On his other side were some metal contraptions, ready for when he needed them.

_Settling down. _

It was a concept that he hadn't thought about. He liked moving around, discovering new places and new creatures. He liked the different foods, the bright feathers of birds he'd never seen and the scales of fish he caught in foreign rivers.

But it was definitely true that he wouldn't be able to keep it up. The more he travelled, the more likely he was going to get hurt and die in a place where he didn't have any friends. The older he got, the harder it was going to be to resist the cold of the night and the sickness that followed. The frequent bandit attacks might be his undoing. Or a simple infection from a simple monster's gash. So many possibilities.

The thing was, at least for Link, buying a house would be just as hard (or even harder) as living his current lifestyle. A house involved deeds, and writing. He couldn't _read_, damn it.

Link stirred his plaster a little more, checked it for clumps, and continued for a while longer.

Besides, with this job you _had_ to travel, or the funds just didn't come in. Nor the ingredients. And ideas, how were you supposed to get new ideas without seeing new things and styles of art? Though admittedly most of his masks banked on the fact that he was good at _carving_, and not much else. A paintbrush could give him cramps that wrestling an eyegore barehanded could never compare to.

Speaking of, their armour had a shine that he could probably make a use of...

Link checked the concoction, and seeing that it flowed like a ribbon but was still relatively thick when he pulled out the large wooden spoon, he pulled the vat off the fire and proceeded to ready his racks. They looked like ladders, only short, extremely wide, and spindly. Perfect for displaying masks. They were weighted down at the base so the wind couldn't tip it over, not that Link would leave his masks in bad weather anyway.

Sheik should be coming soon...

Link started the long and brainless task of coating his masks with plaster by simply picking one up, dunking it, and letting it set on the rack. Years of practice had made it second nature just to coat the _outside_, leaving the wooden underside of the mask exposed.

As he did so, he thought a little more about settling down, and what Anju and Kafei had said about it. Maybe he could expand his mask-making skills, build himself a proper workshop to handle more elaborate and expensive commissions. This made sense. He carried around a ridiculous amount of things in that pack he'd inherited from the original Maskmaker, especially with the handy bottomless pockets. He had a suspicion that some creatures were breeding in that thing, using some of his materials as food. Either that or it was faulty bottles spilling their contents, but such normal solutions just didn't _happen_ with him.

Anyway. Settling down. It could be another way of distancing himself from his past of slaughter. Not, Link distastefully thought to himself, that he was being very successful about it. Especially ever since he was hired for this job.

"You live off my frustrations, don't you." Link glared at the Fierce Deity's mask, which was _clearly_ smirking. "Of course you do. You always throw things at me when things aren't working out because you _know_ I'll be taking it out on those poor sods. And I keep _falling_ for it because you always give me good stuff off those said poor sods. Now I'm sounding like I'm talking at empty air." He rubbed his forehead and looked at his rack of drying masks. "Got a long way to go..."

There was a chuckle behind him.

"_Shit_!" Link jumped, heart in his throat, spinning round to stare at Sheik. "What, how, _how did you do that_?"

Embarrassedly, she suppressed a smile. "Um, I, just walked up to you."

But he should've known she was there. He should've felt her, _right there_, as soon as she left the gate, he would've for any other person. But why not her? Why?

Link forced his heart to slow down, but it wouldn't obey him. Shit. Shit. Link avoided looking into her eyes and determinedly continued dunking. "What's so funny?"

"That you're talking to His mask, not that I blame you," Sheik admitted, "It's like his shrine."

Link gave her a puzzled look, and then at the Mask. He'd never thought of it that way.

Sheik bowed to the Mask before standing next to him, peering at his vat of coating. "What's this made out of?"

He picked, dunked, and hung the masks, methodically and without thinking about it. "Guess."

Link automatically shook his head to the wrong answers as he thought instead of the other,_ impossible_ issue that couple had brought up. He tried not to glance at Sheik.

_Marriage_.

That one was laughable. Yes, he'd saved enough towns and villages and other such things to have enough women willing to marry him to fill a castle. But he'd never been interested, instead exploring abandoned temples, studying the arts on the walls of conquered cities, preserving interesting-looking plants between pages of a large book, stripping that dragon of its scales or taking a token tooth off a man-eating worm...

God he had terrible, terrible tastes.

Besides, nobody had really compared to... Link glanced at her.

Sheik was glaring at the plaster, murmuring to herself. Today she was wearing a rough white blouse over a medium length black skirt, a ribbon of the same colour holding her hair back. She was barefoot on the pavement, and Link wondered how her feet weren't cold in the dawning twilight. But goddesses, she looked lovely.

_Marriage_. If that ever happened... he couldn't even think of something ridiculous to do if he ever got married. The act itself was ridiculous enough.

"I give," Sheik grumbled, rolling her eyes, "What's it made out of?"

"Trade secret," Link smirked, making her pout petulantly.

"So, what are you doing? Or more specifically, what can I do?"

"Keep a lookout for customers. They'll look at the masks, hopefully be interested, and they say what they want on them."

"Shall I draw out some designs?"

Link couldn't help but smile in relief. "That would be great."

She was already scratching a few doodles onto her sketchbook. Link dunked, displayed, repeated. It really was blissfully mindless work. He could go into a haze, not noticing anything, not even how close by Sheik was. He was still confused over why she'd want to talk to him, and it was becoming increasingly harder to quell his hope. Maybe she was really remembering who he was, what she meant to him.

The question lay in whether she loved him back.

"Link?"

"Hn?"

"Why do you always carry your sword?"

He looked at the Fairy Blade, sheathed and hidden neatly under a blanket. "So it doesn't get stolen, and I like having it around."

She sidled up to it and touched its hilt before looking at Link shyly. "Can I hold it?"

Link's gaze flicked from her to the sword dubiously. "Yeah, but it's heavier than you think."

"Of course," she muttered, gripping the hilt and pulling it up. A grin ripped his face in two cheekily as her expression changed and the sword dragged her down. "You've got to be kidding!"

He laughed. Goddesses she was adorable. "It's a two handed weapon."

"But you always use one hand!"

"That's because I cheat," he informed her playfully, sticking his tongue out, "Magical equipment are my friends."

She gripped the Fairy Blade with a grunt and held herself in a stance, concentration plastered on her face. "And what magical equipment do you speak of, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Bronze Gauntlets. Basically normal gauntlets infused with charmed bronze, mined by the Gorons and spelled by the Gerudo. Obviously I'm not wearing them now, but yeah."

"Let me guess," Sheik muttered, shifting into a guard position, and smoothly arching the blade in a downward slash, "There're Silver Gauntlets and Golden Gauntlets, too?"

Link chuckled and continued his dunking. "What makes you say that?"

"If it was so awesome you wouldn't boast about it," she gritted out, repeating the exercise. "I swear this thing is getting heavier..."

"Probably because it was gifted to me," Link shrugged, wincing at the bright rays of the early morn, "You're the first to have the honour of wielding that thing."

"Ugh." She carefully put it down and massaged her arms. "Have you cleaned it recently? What with slaying monsters and all that?"

"Of course," Link retorted before wilting a little guiltily, "Though I may have missed a few spots on the patterns..."

She stroked the black gold swirls that bloomed belladonnas, sighing with adoration. "It's a beautiful weapon."

Link nodded in agreement. "The Fay certainly know their aesthetics."

"I have some cleaning rags at home, and really good oil. At least, for regular swords," Sheik eagerly looked at Link, hope in her eyes. "You think it'll work?"

He smiled. "Worth a try."

"I'll be right back."

In one fluid motion she blurred away, making the Hylian blink in surprise. She hadn't been that fast in the Canyons, had she? Well, alright, there was the sleep-deprivation at work then, and general terror, but still. Had she _really_ been that fast? And so... _quiet_.

He was reminded all the more of Sheik from _those years_.

-,-'-,-'-,-

When Link came in after making sure his masks would be safe for the night, Sheik had just finished cleaning the Fairy Blade. She'd marvelled at the milk-and-greenstone hue of the blade, the care the fairies had taken to craft the black flowers. She was carrying the heavy weapon down the stairs when she heard Link and Kafei talking, and unable to resist, she eavesdropped.

She did a lot of that in her dreams, heart racing with dread. But this was easier, all she had to do was stand in the hallway, and if anybody asked she could say that she'd been waiting for a break in the conversation so she could walk in without interruption.

It was Link that spoke, and his words warmed her. "...thanks to Sheik, and I got a few commissions. She doodled them great, but if she got them wrong or they didn't describe it right for her, they don't pay me and I sell it to someone else. I don't mind."

"That is poor salesmanship, my friend." Kafei's tone was amused.

"I know," Link groaned, and made an appreciative sound. Sheik wondered whether he was drinking something warm as she blushed. "But right now I'm just happy to be inside for a while, before I go out again to paint them."

"...You'll be experiencing that happiness more often if you settle down, you know."

Sheik's expression twitched with pain, and shock. Link? Settle down? But...

Link snorted. "Settling down in front of a lonely fireplace doesn't sound appealing to me."

Sheik sighed in relief.

"That's what friends and family are for."

_Damn it Kafei_!

"Which I have limited numbers in." The Hylian hissed and mumbled about hurt. "Especially the family."

"Link..."

"Why did you bring it up so suddenly, anyway?" there was no sense of animosity to his tone, just curiosity. Sheik glowered at her brother. "Because it had never even occurred to me, honestly, not even once."

"It occurred to us as soon as you stepped back into our life, my friend, and it doesn't surprise me that you'd never thought on it." Kafei sighed, and the fire snapped and roared in the brief pause, "We worry about you."

"But... you didn't know me that well."

"Well enough to know which stories were about you when travellers shared tales at the inn." Kafei shot back triumphantly, before concern breached his voice. "This was _years_ ago, Link, _years_. We've been hearing about you from strangers for more than a decade, and we never hear of you _safe_."

Sheik blinked. A _decade_? But that would make him fourteen. On top of that, Kafei said _more_. And he wasn't one to exaggerate, not when he was taking a subject so seriously.

Link's muffled voice sheepishly drifted out to her. "I don't do well with safe..."

"Weren't you apprenticed under that mask salesman as soon as you stopped Majora? I'd have thought that would keep you out of trouble."

Sheik put that to mind. _Majora_. Who was Majora?

"No, I followed him to _break_ Majora in half. I was right to, you know, he kept collecting cursed masks like a madman and they _always_ came from places I needed to fight. It was only till I collected another mask for him that he apprenticed me, and that was just so he could keep an eye on me. _Then_ I began to learn things, which I'm still grateful for, and I've kept out of trouble since then."

Kafei's tone held reproach. "Till now."

"Till now," he agreed, sullenly.

Kafei sighed with something akin to despair as Sheik tried to keep up. Oh, screw figuring it out on the spot. She'll deal with the info later. "Isn't there _anyone_ you'd want to spend the rest of your life with? _Peacefully_?"

Link snorted and chuckled, wistfully. "There was a girl, once. A long time ago. She was... gods, she was amazing."

As a lonely pain echoed in her chest, Kafei asked for her, "...Will you tell me what happened?"

"It's not worth it." He replied with a shrug-worthy tone, "I didn't know her that well anyway. But she was kind, thoughtful... I wish you could've seen her, she was like a _light_, and she had a laugh that could brighten... never mind. She's gone now. That's-"

Maybe she made a whimper, maybe her footing slipped and the wood beneath her foot creaked. Either way, as soon as he heard a chair scrape sharply Sheik _dashed_, hiding behind the stairs and _forcing _herself to be still, to not breathe, to not even tremble...

"Sorry," Link muttered in a disquieted tone, making Sheik shudder in relief, "I thought I felt somebody there."

Kafei sighed. "You must cure that paranoia one day."

Link snorted again, doubtfully. "One day..."

-,-'-,-'-,-

The masks were somewhat dry as Link led her back to their workplace on their second dawn. They sat on the grass facing each other, surrounded by his blank masks and a multitude of potted paints lined between them like a rainbow. He had 54 different shades and in each one a paintbrush stood, so as not to mix the colours. He planned to use all of them.

"I hate this part the most," Link muttered, sighing as he hefted one of the masks, "Look, I'll scratch on the patterns, and you paint them the way I tell you. And whatever you do, don't, _on no account_, mix the colours."

Sheik picked up one of his simplest masks and said, "You want this to be yellow, with purple spots under the eyes like stylised eyelashes, and you want the ones on top to alternate between red and blue, and you want them in the shape of raindrops."

Link looked at the mask, then at her, and tried to hide how impressed he was. "How did you know that?"

She smiled. "I can See it."

He made a disgruntled face. "Do I even _need _to explain things to you?"

"I paint it, leave it, and then go on to the next one, right?"

"Wrong." He pointed at her and spoke with utmost gravity, "You have to separate the piles _clearly_, from the done ones and the unfinished ones. Can you See why?"

She didn't speak for a while, but asked, sullenly, "Why do I have to separate them?"

"Alright." Link unsheathed a knife from his boot and neatly cleaved the mask he was holding in half. Between the crusted chalky surface and the wood, a clear juice oozed. Link wiped a bit of it onto his middle finger, showing it to her. The glob caught the light like oil on water. "After a while, the paint fades, leaving it blank again. This is where the paint goes. It sucks the wet paint in and hardens. When the crusted outside is completely white, I break it open to show this, all nicely coloured and shiny and smooth. Like porcelain, or glass. Only much lighter. So lay it on thick, or else it's going to look washed out."

He handed her the other half so she could see it for herself. The sunlight stroked gold through her hair. She pursed her lips and Link told himself to look at _anywhere_ but there, lest he was tempted to kiss her. "How does this work?" she asked, "Or is that a trade secret too?"

"Yep. Trade secret." There was no way he was going to tell her the tektite bones made it happen. "Right, I'll leave you to it."

"I... can't See what you want from this."

Link looked at it and took it from her. "That's because I'm sticking some teeth into this."

"Ew."

He smiled teasingly. "Hey, you were the one that volunteered to help."

She was insanely fast. He usually had to stare at the mask and really think about what he wanted on them before searching for the right tone, the right hue of a certain colour, before painstakingly applying the paint, stroke after careful stroke.

He couldn't help but think she made his efforts look silly.

Once done with his mask he saw that she'd already done four. He looked at them, carefully, and found nothing to complain about, which annoyed him somewhat.

His hand was already cramping from the brushes. Link did the ones that wanted additional decorations (monster bits) on it first, so he wouldn't have to paint as much.

-,-'-,-'-,-

The number of days till the Carnival of Time was about to go under the two digit zone. Link was feeling a 'little' paranoid, and it showed.

Kafei tried to get him to relax, coaxing him with warm drinks and alcohol. The warm drinks Link accepted gratefully, clutching at them like life-lines, but the alcohol he downright refused. He always had one or two weapons close to him, and he was found buying some bombs and a new bowstring by a distressed Anju. He was staring at his magic masks that lay hidden in plain sight among his masks for sale, and he wasn't smiling as often. He was nervous in crowds, almost testy when a stranger so much as looked at him too long.

He was sleeping more in the day and less in the night. The usual carnival goers were convening in the communal dorm, but they were busy practicing their acts during the day, and if they were practicing inside, all Link had to do was curl into his bed and they would leave him alone, thinking he was tired or sick.

He spent a day breaking his masks open with Sheik, hardly looking at them as he mechanically brushed off fragments of plaster from the glistening surfaces. He set them against the wall, letting the others admire his masks as they pleased as he mentally tried to recall why he was feeling so weak. Anju tentatively reminded him to eat on occasion.

Eight days till the Carnival of Time, Link was shocked awake by dreams that he couldn't remember but knew was somehow involved with the Three Days of Calamity. He got up, got changed, and practiced his swordsmanship in the garden.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link gasped awake on another night, and rubbing the sweat from his face Link threw himself out of bed and gathered his weapons.

He escaped from the inn and ran, quickly, to the Town centre in the southern block, and glared at the tower that loomed above him, gasping from the run.

He kicked the doors open and snarled, baring his sword forward.

The only noise that met him was that of the water that generated the town's famous clock. There was no sick giggle, a whisper of palms rubbing, no glint of eyes that smiled too reassuringly. Link clicked his fingers and the red crystal in his ear reacted, blooming fire in his hand. He lit his way, sword still drawn, stalking into the dark belly of the tower.

But the Mask Maker, his old teacher, his _master_, almost, wasn't there. Link shuddered with his relief, but the night was still young yet. He searched the place for secret doors, and finding none, looked up at the moving, dangerous, heavy cogs of the massive clock that could easily crush a bone or five if he so much as went near them.

Link sheathed his sword and climbed.

He was aware that he was acting insane. Even as he dodged the grinding teeth of the mechanical monster, as he traversed the swinging bars and arms and legs of the magnificent work of engineering, he knew that the likelihood of his demented mentor being around was close to nil. But he still had to make sure, still he had to check.

He ended up finding a corridor reserved for engineers, who maintained the organs of their tower. He swung onto it and climbed the stairs, and sure enough, he ended up on the roof, the glorious roof that would be open to all, once the carnival commenced.

Link collapsed, glad that nobody was around, that the moon was wonderfully small against the sky, and that the air wasn't so cold. He lay on the roof for a while, enjoying the long, luxurious sky, painted with a thousand stars of the most subtle colours of white.

He wanted a piece. Just a piece of that darkness that bordered on blue and green, with white fragments of magical jewels glistening in its weave.

He spent an hour and a bit staring at the sky, calming his nerves, before he returned to the inn to prepare his stall.

He checked the clock as he left. It was three in the morning.

Then he blinked, sure he'd heard his name. He turned around, thinking (preposterously) that it could be Sheik, but that thought died quickly. Were his paranoia levels skyrocketing again? Din damn it, he didn't need this kind of stress, not when he wasn't sure...

Link went back to the inn, got his stuff, and was pretty much finished with setting up his stall, when a blue light whizzed into his face, (lovingly) screeching his name.

Link shoved it in a bottle and realised it was Navi a little too late for her liking.

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**Dun dun DUUUUUUUN!**

**OMG NAVI IS HERE!**

**I couldn't resist. I like her. **

**You know what just occured to me? This story's last chapter is number 20. So you've only got, like, three chapters to go, peoples! :O Le-gaspeth!**

**Thank you so much for putting the review mark so high! It's so cool that so many people are reading and reviewing, and it's a pleasure to reply to you all. Especially when I'm supposed to be doing an assignment.**

**Oh, and if this chapter's a little funky in the sense of writing and grammar or sentence structure or SOMETHING, I blame my USB. It has really low memory, thanks to this and Once Upon a Fairytale. By the way, I urge you to read it. Because ofter this, it's pretty much ALL ACTION. It's kinda hilarious that the updtaing got cut off at the end of the mellow stuff and the hardcore stuff happens, like, the rest of the way.**

**anyway, REVIEW REPLIES**

**edit: I saved this, and then because something went wrong only one review reply was left out of the fourteen I spent more than an hour replying to. Laptop, I hate you. **

**_Erendan_: Thanks so much for your compliments, and yay again for victory dance! You're getting a few of them, eh? XD Anyway, the conversation has been (sort of) elaborated on, and cuteness has manifested! Yay? Anyway, hope you liked it!**

**_darkwolflink: _In Link's defence though, he was very, very lonely. But you're right, he is slow, and they're both silly. Hopefully they'll overcome that thanks to this chapter and the next one. Or are they pulled apart instead...? Find out! XD**

**_Steviedude12_: Yep, indeed they did. Silly Link. And omg, it would've been so hilarious if someone had walked in, but no, thankfully they were in the middle of nowhere. Hahaha. And you know, that's not a bad idea for a fic, The Fierce War, or The Deity's War, but that sounds too fancy for Oni. Maybe somehting less dramatic. But I'll have to finish Once upon a Fairytale first. **

**_K-shee_: Ands yous gots yours answers! XD Ahaha, maybe Link will show Sheik a few things after a) they finally get together and b) he gets comfortable with the idea of seducing her, considering she's a lot younger than her. Sheik's gonna be so frustrated. Bwahaha. I can't be stuffed writing more angst, so for a while, Jim's not existing. Ahahahah. Now, Link, Oni's son... OMG THAT WOULD BE SO HILARIOUS. It would be a massive plot-twist for sure, and a wonderful way to stretch Link's torture further, but I bet even Oni would be shocked/horrified at the idea. I think it'd be a result from a one-night stand. Kinda like this:  
Oni: So... you're my son, huh.  
Link: Seems... so...  
Oni: Hey, uh... this doesn't mean i have to be, you know, _nice_ to you, does it...?  
Link: Oh God.  
Oni: Does that phrase even work anymore? Shouldn't be, like, '_Oh Dad_'?  
Link: Shut up. Please shut up while I go over there and kill myself in shame. Or you know what, shut up while I kill _you_ and wipe whatever ties I have with you.  
Oni: (Snort) Yeah, like you can manage _that_.  
Link: I'm the Hero of Time, with a hell of a lot of cursed masks and weapons, _and_ I've been promoted to demigod. Wanna try?  
Oni: (Thinks about it for a while, and growls)...Bring it, son of a bitch.  
Link: Irony at its best. (You can almost see the sarcasm coming off him in waves)  
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Bad Link. Bad! Anyway, here you go! :D**

**_DragonXander_: Yay for long reviews! And wow, I'm impressed! I changed a person from a 'meh-love stories' person to a love-story enjoying person! Woop! And I totally agree about that Twilight thing. Those vampires have broken all the 'cool vampires' rules, as well, which just makes the situation worse for them. Sigh. And yes, of course though there will be more cuteness for those two, there will be lots of squashing of Link's abused heart. (Cue evil laugh)  
But I envy you for having a DSi, though I've never heard of it. It's an extension of the DS, right? If so, curse you. I want it. You may appease me by giving me more long reviews. Ahahaha.**

**_petite-dreamer_: Wow, thank you! It's wonderful to hear stuff like that! As for the Furore Farore thing, I've got a few reasons. I've got the japanese version of the game so when i started fanfiction I didn't know the spelling for these guys, and the first time I saw the green-goddess's name, it was spelt with a 'u'. Then somebody corrected me, and I changed it, but it made the time of clicking 'ignore' on spellcheck longer, so I changed it back to 'u'. Also, Din means 'loud noise'. Furore is much the same. I thought the similarities were hilarious so I didn't put 'FArore' as a new word into spellcheck like Nayru. I just like it better this way, eh.**

**_V Musicka_: Yay for cuteness! The Ouroboros is a mythical creature/symbol represent life/death, cycle, rebirth, regeneration, stuff like that. It's a personal nod to Fullmetal Alchemist because THAT WAS A TRULY EPIC MANGA and I really enjoyed it. So i didn't whip it up on my own, but it definitely wasn't part of the Zelda-verse. As for why he did that with Pamela? Oh the list goes on. He'd decided to give up on Sheik. Pamela was a convenient start. Fails at giving up comsidering who he pretends Pamela is. He is very, very lonely, (and probably hadn't had much action for a while) and yeah. He's messed up. STUPID LINK.**

**_Human Riot_: I KNOW. YOU IDIOT, LINK. He's sooo messed up, the poor sod, and he think's way too much about no forcing her to remember seven years of hell when she's going through with it in her dreams anyway. And since he can't grab her, he goes for a freakin' substitute. The NOOB. Oh, and don't worry, Jim doesn't make an appearence for a while. He's probably helping out in the bombshop or something, wondering why Sheik doesn't visit him as often as she used to. I hope there was enough happy here for you! XD**

**_Lady Kurina_: Character torture is way too entertaining, eh? I'm glad you like this so much, and I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you. **

**_goldenrhino_: Yeah, I suppose, but that scene was kinda important for me. We got to know about Pamela's past, just how desperate Link is and how lonely as well, and it opened up to the point where they talk about the cult. But yeah. Perhaps more tact could've been useful, though I honestly don't know how I could've further censored it... ah, well. And yes, that's what I meant by the Ouroboros. That's pretty much where I went to get the speling right, lol. Anyway, less dodgy stuff in this chapter! Woot! XD**

**_Sparty the Bold_: Um, I'm confused. Are we talking about the same seven deadly sins? Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Greed? When Link was yelling at the two for visiting Link he just mentioned them to point out just how much of a bastard Oni is for creating those vices out of sheer boredom. But I see what you mean that I did-but-didn't explain them. Again, that was just to prove how bastardly Oni could be, and to give him more background. Link mentions wrath and something else in the story, I think...? Definitely Lust, he mentioned that for sure. I dunno. What? Confused face. (incidently, it was your review reply that survived. I was extremely glad that it did)  
Yeah, you're right. And he's doing pretty much the same thing (pretending she's someone she's not) so he really doesn't mind, eh. Lol. Just as long as she doesn't develop an interest in him, he's cool with it; after all, even if she IS attractive, he really won't be able to handle her vendetta against the dead. XD  
Ahaha, as for Sheik, she's a teenager. I'm a teenager. If you're interested, you have to make it clear, especially to people you're rpetty sure aren't interested. But Link doesn't feel like he's going to play her, he just thinks that because she knows who she looks like (herself-wow that's confusing) he just thinks she's pretending to be interested to cheer him up. Stupid Link. Yes... kids these days... XD**

**_Missing Triforce_: Um... I don't know. I think Sheik found that he was there, as she saw him, or from Kafei and Anju. But you're right, there should've been some, 'so, how was your tramp?' sort of conversation, eh. Oops, my bad. XP And... really? Did Link not open his eyes? But I checked that passage like, THOUSANDS of times, it has to be there, right, right next to... I'm pretty sure he opened his eyes when he said the Mad God came back, and he was _pleased_, or somesuch thing. I will have to check it out. And I'm copying and pasting this from some other person's review reply, because I can't be bothered typing it out again, sorry: since he can't grab her, he goes for a freakin' substitute, He'd decided to give up on Sheik. Pamela was a convenient start. Fails at giving up comsidering who he pretends Pamela is. He is very, very lonely, (and probably hadn't had much action for a while) and yeah. He's messed up. STUPID LINK. And yes, Link is the rogue apprentice; he was NOT impressed with the guild the Maskmaker was part of, so he burned it to the ground. Cue double thumbs up. And I like Zelda too, though I am guilty of a ridiculously Zelda-bashing oneshot... in my defence, I was still new at LOZFFs. XD**

**_Senk Ryu_: Yay a new reviewer! Ahaha, NICE. Glad to know I fit to people's wants and needs! Hey, maybe I should do commissions and stuff. ...Nah, I don't think would let it happen. I hope you continue enjoying this story, then. **

**FINALLY DONE. Oh god, the fun of writing review replies just VANISH when you have to write them twice.**

**Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you review again!  
**


	18. Recreation

**Hey guys! Just so you know, this is more of a filler chapter that goes into Link's relationship with Navi, his parnoia, a little more about his past and... nothing much else. You'll probably smack your face and groan at what Navi does at the end, but hey, that's what she's here for! XD**

**So I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and I have bad news and good news. I'll tell you them at the end.**

_**

* * *

**_

– Recreation

****

18

"This is some neat work, Link," Navi cooed, nuzzling into his cheek, "I'm so _proud_ of you!"

"Thanks," he tickled her wings in response, making her giggle. "And though I didn't paint all of them, I _did_ do that one. It's dedicated to you, just there, that one. I hope you like it."

He pointed to a mask that was a blue as the sky. Round the eyeholes the blue faded to blinding white, as if it was glowing, and down the cheekbones he'd etched patterns of cicada wings. Unlike the others, this had no price on it.

Navi gasped as she flittered up to it, awe and rapture in her tone. "Oh this is _gorgeous_!"

"Good to know," he grinned, "Spent a lot of time on that one."

"You still use tektite bone for the plaster base?"

"Blue tektites, now," Link replied, "The land-bound ones have a duller finish."

She flew to ones that had physical decorations stuck in the masks, knowing that he'd never allow anybody but himself to touch _them_. "What're these? And those?"

Link looked at the masks and the ornaments that decorated them. "Those are Baba teeth, and that there are snake-scales. And the one in the corner's guay feathers, fully cleansed."

"That's... kinda disgusting."

"In some cultures they're meant to bring good luck."

"I'm surprised, to be honest," she admitted as she settled on the counter, shedding her glow onto the merchandise. Link leaned back on his chair, standing on the two back legs, staring at the moon. "But I'm glad that you've found a job that doesn't involve killing things all the time. You enjoy making masks, right?"

"The harmless ones, at least, yeah."

He could hear her frown from a mile away. "Why did you learn it then? What was the Happy Mask person's name anyway? Where'd _he_ learn to make it?"

Link shrugged. "He was part of some dark-magic ring thing, making and collecting masks for the people who could influence and control them. And yes, before you start yelling at me, I cut their cult down. Got some nice fur off their summoned beast for a coat. As for his name, he never told me. I just called him Sir. Learning to make Soul masks... I thought I could eventually figure out how to unmake them if I stuck to it."

Navi sighed. "Are you _still_ feeling guilty about those three?"

"Not _guilty_, just," the Hylian sighed back before slamming the front legs of the chair to the ground. "I don't even know whether they're at peace. The masks I make, I _know_ for a fact that the curse ends once I burn it. But there're ways to make the souls suffer each nick and scratch and burn, Navi, I can't risk that with those three."

"But you buried the masks in places they enjoy. The Deku mask in his palace, the Zora by his beach, and the Goron on his mountain. Right?"

"I still don't know whether they're truly and utterly _dead_, though."

"You can't save everybody."

"I know. I know. But I still... I have to try."

There was a depressed silence between them, interrupted by a stray dog that hugged Link's leg for warmth. This one was different from the others, more wolf-like, a hunting dog rather than a house pet. Its pelt ranged through spectrum of grey, reminding him of rubble in the misty night. He scratched the canine's ears, wondering what it was thinking. He would've known with the Mask of Truth, but Sheik had it now...

"So..." Navi said, as if reading his mind, "Sheik, huh?"

Link nodded, slowly. "Yep."

"Still seventeen, eh? With a boy named Jim."

"Yep."

"...What's she like?"

"Different," Link conceded, as he pulled the dog onto his lap where it panted happily, noting vaguely that it might still be a puppy, "But still ridiculously obvious in her body language. She's beautiful. Kind, determined, doesn't complain often. An artist, insistent almost to the point of stubborn. She knows how I feel, actually."

Navi froze in shock. "What? _What_? And she's still with that Jim person-thing?"

"Well, I didn't tell her the full story, so she just thinks I loved someone who _looked_ like her."

"Why does your life suck so much?"

The Hylian rolled his eyes. "You would get along with Igos like a house on fire."

"I never understood that expression," the fairy hummed contemplatively, "You'd think that putting a house on fire would be a bad thing."

"Unless some sadistic bastard enjoys watching his house burning down round him."

"So why _does_ your life suck so much?"

Link was determined to not let that conversation go _anywhere_."Why are you here again?"

"Princess Zelda thought you'd need the moral support. And I missed you. I would've come sooner if I'd known where you were, you know."

"I know," Link smiled fondly at the fairy, "And I'm glad you're here. I needed somebody who could handle my nerves."

"Oh dear," Navi fretfully fluttered round his face, "What's wrong? What's upsetting you?"

"You know what happened here last time I stayed for the Carnival," Link muttered, rubbing his face as he eyed the moon, "I just have a bad feeling that something violently _bad_ is going to happen because I'm here. I keep thinking something's going to attack me from the crowd. Don't get me started on my nightmares. All the stars falling with a _smirk_."

"Link..." Navi sighed pityingly, "Grow up. You're not that special."

Link laughed, a little hysterically. "Yes, being the Hero of Time is everybody's cup of tea."

"You _were_ the Hero of Time. You _have_ saved the world. The only reason you're still terrified of 'the end is nigh' is because you just didn't stop fighting. You never re-learnt to relax."

"I'm well aware."

They were _both_ well aware. The war, especially Sheik's disappearance, had shattered him. Her words that they'd meet again in the past, all he had to do was _find_ her, was what had kept him together so precariously. And the monsters, ironically. Killing them helped him live.

Navi wondered if Link knew he was reverting back to his more reckless frustrated self, if he knew just how deeply Sheik not _knowing_ him cut him in his heart.

"Then you should let it _go_." Navi insisted, gently touching her wing against his cheek, "You should concentrate on making masks, the safe kind, not the creepy dark-magic kind. Learn how to make them with clay or metal or something. You're still fairly young and healthy, you survived a war that even the Goddesses feared. You deserve a break, a long, happy break."

Link sighed, touching her wing tips so she would move away. "Anju and Kafei were talking about that too, settling down."

"I think that's a great idea. Don't you? At least, for a while, like a holiday."

He smiled reassuringly at her worried tone and nodded. "So, where do you think I should go after this? Settle down? Buy myself a house?"

"You have the Kokiri woods, and Zelda's castle. If the end gets nigh she'll tell you. And you know how many balls she's forced to have, everybody will adore your masks, and you can learn to forge your own sword, you can try to read again!"

"Oh no..."

"Link, you should be able to _read_."

"But Navi, it actually hurts my head when I think that hard."

"You have more brain than that!"

"For _puzzles_."

"Just think of it as art!"

"Writing isn't an art. It's a chore."

"It's a necessity."

"I'm going to sleep," Link muttered, placing the Watchdog mask over his eyes as he shuffled in his seat, the stray dog already snoozing on his lap, "If anybody walks by, get their attention alright?"

"...Sure." Navi diligently put herself on the counter and glowed. "You can count on me."

Link wrapped himself tightly in his thick cloak, which worked just as well as a blanket, as he settled for his shallow sleep. "I know I can."

Navi lifted into the air, waving her wings slowly as she patrolled the stall. She occasionally checked on Link, and sighed when his lips murmured a name into his mists of dreams, fists still gripping that old, old thread of hope close to his heart.

-,-'-,-'-,-

His bed was empty and cold.

Asked by her brother and her sister in law, Sheik looked for Link as soon as she had breakfast. She finally found him in the southern block, surprised to find him somewhat busy.

He must've been awake the whole night (again) to have made that stall. A patched banner above his counter had _The Travelling Maskerade_ emblazoned on it, and behind him were his masks, freed of the cumbersome plaster and glinting colourfully like smooth glass, durable as soft metal. He was backed against a wall, and his counter boxed him in like a fort. On said counter were wooden figurines, beads, feathers, all labelled with prices.

He was selling a wooden box that rattled to a little child for a price that seemed far too cheap for such craftsmanship. And there was a blue light hovering over his shoulder.

Sheik blinked, knowing that blue ball... "Link? Is that...?"

"Holy _wow_!" The blue light zoomed in on her face and erratically buzzed this way and that like a crazed wasp. "Wow! Hey! This is amazing! She really _is_-"

She was interrupted when she was swept violently into a bottle by the mask-maker, shoving a cork with a single hole in to imprison her. "Sorry," Link muttered as he glared at the bottleful of blue fairy, "She promised not to get too excited, but that didn't quite work out."

Sheik watched the fairy bounce off the bottle wall like a packet of pebbles. "Um, is she...?"

"She's fine. Navi," he added, as he put his hand away from the cork, "Will you calm down?"

"_Never_!" she screeched like scraping glass, "Until you let me out I will _never_ calm down!"

"Suit yourself," Link chuckled as he uncorked the bottle.

Then there was sudden silence. The blue fairy glided out as gently as you please, a picture of serenity and fairy poise, swirling around his blond locks, leaving a trail of sparkling dust as she lightly landed on his shoulder. With great dignity, she fluttered her wings. "I am Navi of the Lost Woods, leader of the Kokiri. It's a great honour to meet you, Sheik of the Sheikah. I hear your visions are powerful, and as messenger of Hyrule, I cordially offer you the congratulations of Princess Zelda Harkinian the Sixth for coming to your Gift."

"Um..." Sheik blushed, shying at the mention of a Princess. "Thank you."

"Hmph," Navi sniffed, before bouncing off Link's shoulder to flutter over to the stall, "Link, I haven't finished telling you what's happening at home, and more customers are coming."

"Alright, alright," he said over his shoulder before putting his attention back to the teen, "So, anyway, what can I do you for?"

"I've been looking for you," She told him earnestly, "Kafei was worried."

"Oh, right." The Hylian winced. "I thought I'd be back before the customers came. Sorry."

"You should stop doing this, Link," Sheik sighed, glancing from him to the fairy and back, "You hardly get in bed at the inn, your eating habits are sporadic at best, Kafei and Anju are stressing because of you, why didn't you at least leave a note? Please come back with us?"

Link hesitated. "Just remind them how many days it is till the Carnival. They'll understand. As for the note, I can't read or write, remember?"

"Oh, right." She guiltily bit her lip before tentatively saying, "Just... be back by lunch?"

"Uh... I'll be camping out here. I've got supplies. Till the Carnival starts."

Sheik cried out in exasperation, "But that's in three days!"

Link sighed. "Exactly."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Seventy two hours to go...

The masks Sheik had painted sold extremely well to the tourists and the performers. It wasn't the brightness, nor the expressiveness of the masks that drew them so (Link was a smidge better than her at that), it was the _detail_. The Bird's masks that she'd painted for instance, had a glint in their eyes that made them seem alive. She disobeyed him beautifully by overlapping the colours, adding tiny flecks of black or white to make it like they had real feathers.

Navi brought in children like flies to honey. They wanted to buy his little toys that he'd carved out of the shavings of his masks, tiny soldiers, dragons, wooden marbles, and beads for the girls. They told their friends, and they told their parents; the steady stream of customers was a welcome distraction from the empty skies.

Traditionally the Terminians made their own masks to the festival, but the younger citizens were embarrassed with their lack of skill, why wear drab masks when you could buy such fancy ones? Link's prices were reasonably on the expensive side, but he was generous when bumping down prices. Not that selling was all he did. He fixed masks too, gluing cracks shut and painting them invisible, adding new glitter to chaffed surfaces. He gladly put great effort into these masks, especially the ones couples wanted to trade.

Link wondered whether Sheik would be trading a mask with Jim.

Link kept a small pot of a controlled fire by his side, to boil water when he was thirsty, or to heat his supplied food.

Anju came to say hi and refused to let Link fix her masks until she paid him first.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Sixty hours to go...

When the Watchdog mask woke him it was always to a new face. Once a child, having broken her mother's old mask, had begged him to fix it despite it had been neatly snapped in two. It was easy work, and Navi entertained the child as he made it so it'd last for longer. He gave her a paper flower to tuck into her hair. The stray dog licked her face.

Another time it was a shifty little git that had tried to rob him. Link had glared, growled, and told him to leave. He scampered.

Link wondered whether to name the stray dog as he drifted to a half-sleep once more.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Forty-eight hours to go...

Most of Sheik's masks had been sold, and Link's encroached on the display board. The customers seemed to notice the sheer _power_ behind them, in each stroke of colour and decoration. The masks ornamented with claws and scales were popular amongst the men. The masks embedded with shiny rocks and feathers were a hit with the women.

There were more customers, and he could tell that things on the counter were being swiped on occasion. Not that he cared, as long as his masks were safe.

Anju had kindly sent one of her assistants to help out in his selling. Link was glad; he was being overwhelmed by the customers, he had never gotten so many at once, and it wasn't doing any good to his paranoia. When he got the chance he got the assistant to realign the masks, one end cheap, the other end expensive, and Link had to think fast to get the price he wanted straight away. The assistant haggled.

The night was filled with lanterns. A whole lot more people were staying out late, browsing the possible faces they themselves could be wearing if they paid the right price, though they paid more attention to the food and the lights, thank the gods. When it was closer to dawn than midnight he had to stop a man who'd tried to take one of his Charmed Masks.

The stray was helping itself to his supplies. Link threatened to name it Pig.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Twenty-four hours to go...

Link was glad that most of the things on the counter had been sold, and his masks, both his and Sheik, were nearly gone. He'd pushed the prices up to dissuade people to buy them through the day, but he'd lower them again in the evening. Well, for some, anyway. Navi's Mask was still displayed, but the tag said PRICELESS (courtesy of Anju's assistant) in bold letters underneath, so people just stared longingly and sighed. This made Navi _really_ proud.

Link chewed the last of the dried apples as he scratched Wolfos's head. The noon sun was warm, even under shade, as people milled about with the last minute preparations and shopping. The mutt panted happily under his fingers. "How much have we made?"

"Quite a lot, thanks to that boy yesterday," Navi said.

Link frowned. "Haggling's a waste of time."

"Haggling's a good way to get things."

"It's still a waste of time." he muttered, swallowing his food. He glared at the fierce-if-dopey dog and irritably scratched its ears. "I'd be eating a tektite right now if it weren't for you."

"Are you even sure if tektite isn't poisonous for dogs?" Navi asked concernedly, flickering round the dog's nose. "He might throw up or something soon."

"If he does he's learnt his lesson."

"_It's a dog_, Link, I don't think he'll learn any lesson whatsoever."

Link huffed with laughter as the dog barked and eagerly sniffed his hand, licking and whining when he found nothing sweet to eat despite the scent of apples. A mutt that never learnt no matter how much he was hurt. Now, why did that sound so familiar?

"Link," a different voice said, and the Hylian happily looked up to see his old friend.

"Kafei. How's the inn? Any unhappy mutterings within the Town committee?"

"The committee is going smoothly and the inn is a lively bomb of people." Kafei assured him with a smile, "How are your masks?"

"Selling a hell of a lot better than I thought they would. In fact," Link admitted, wincing when the dog barked and chewed his boot. "I got a bit more than I bargained for."

Kafei leant over the counter to see the dog and rolled his eyes. "Typical."

"What?" Link said, glancing down at the mutt, "It's just a dog."

The mayor rubbed his eyes and sighed. "That's the pup everyone's been looking for. It escaped a drowning after its father tore a young man to death; it's Terminian law to have the rabid dog's offspring be put down to make sure the bloodline ends."

Link glowered at the dog who was begging to have another ride on Link's lap. "A killer's offspring, huh. How do you know it's the right one?"

"The breed, and the scar on its foreleg; it's a wound from when he escaped the ropes."

"Navi," Link civilly requested, and the fairy didn't have to ask.

She touched the dog's leg, making it yelp. Navi squealed as she escaped his frantic claws, but soon he calmed when the scar disappeared, and the slight limp went away with the wound.

Link grinned and checked Wolfos for other damning scars, even as he spoke to Kafei. "Sorry Mayor, I have a soft spot for survivors. Especially the lonely ones."

"I thought you'd say that," the old man admitted with a little gladness, "Just keep him out of sight; the resemblance to the renegade dog might cause you some trouble."

"Yes, sir," Link grimaced when Wolfos began to lick his face. "Damn dog."

Kafei's gaze turned to concern. "You... _can_, take care of it, can't you?"

"I'll be finding out on the way to Hyrule," the Hylian shrugged, gagging when he tasted the dog's tongue against his own. "Oergh, that was _sick_, Wolfos!"

Kafei hoped to the skies that if anything happened between these two, he wouldn't have the misfortune of hearing about it. "You named it Wolfos."

"Irony at its finest," Link grumbled as the large puppy seemed to almost _chuckle_ as he wrestled with Link's gauntleted hand.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Twelve hours to go...

The whole square was a mash of people, blazing with lamplight, loud and cheerful and a little bit drunk. Link was extremely glad that he was safe behind his stall, or else he'd be driven mad by the crowd.

His stomach growled. He'd forgotten to ask Kafei if he could bring Link and Wolfos and Navi some food, considering the puppy was chewing his boots again, whining plaintively.

He was going to have to buy new shoes if Wolfos was going to keep at his forsaken footwear.

As the night progressed the attention shifted from the stalls to the sky. Everybody was eagerly watching the Clocktower, waiting for the doors to open, for the clock to strike the beginning of time, for the fireworks, and the glorious celebration ahead.

Link told Navi to watch the stall and Wolfos to _sit_. The dog cantered and barked. Groaning in exasperation Link shuffled behind the display board and ran his hands over the wall, finding and grabbing handholds and footholds till he found a suitable ledge to sit on, relatively higher than the people who merely stood.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw a few of his masks around the crowd, but that wasn't what he was looking for. He checked that the moon was still a small silver disk in the sky before watching the Clocktower _base,_ where the door to the inside was firmly closed, the inside from which Link himself had immerged from, where he had first met the Mask-maker.

He waited, unaware that he was being looked for as well.

"Hello Navi," somebody the fairy didn't quite know hesitantly said, "Um, how are you?"

The blue orb of light swished to the masked person and, on inspecting the mask, understood who it was. "Sheik!"

"Hi," the girl behind the Mask of Truth waved as she held her upper arm, exuding nervous unease, "How did the sales go?"

Navi buzzed a little before replying, "It went well, yeah."

"I didn't... ruin it, did I?"

Navi had suspected that Sheik was the one who'd helped Link, even though he hadn't said it out loud, so her comment wasn't so surprising. "No. They sold quite well."

"Oh." She seemed relieved, and a little happy with herself. "I'm glad I was useful, then."

Navi couldn't take it anymore. She zoomed in on the Sheikah's face and asked, quite frankly, "What do you think you're doing?"

Sheik took a startled step back, almost swallowed by the crowd. But she shoved forward, grabbing the counter of the _Travelling Maskerade_ to stare wide-eyed at the fairy. "What?"

"No, _I'm _the one asking questions. You know how he feels!" the fairy yelled, making her flinch, "You know how he feels about you and you still hang about him, flaunting your boyfriend, who is _rubbish_ compared to Link, just so you know. With you around, all he can think about is a past that he needs to forget, to move on from. He can't _do_ that with you saying hi, being nice, offering him _cookies_ for all I know! Go away! He doesn't deserve the pain you're causing him. It's not like you _love_ him or anything. You don't even _know_ him."

"You..." Navi felt a savage satisfaction for hurting her, if only to make her feel a fraction of Link's pain. "You don't know anything about me either!"

"Then show me what you got, _bulk_," Navi challenged, making Sheik quiver with hurt.

The girl pulled something out of her pocket and slammed it on the counter before leaving.

Navi sat on the flyers and waited imperiously for Link, satisfied with herself.

* * *

**Cue slapping your face and screaming DAMN IT NAVI! lol.**

**In her defence, though, she's just trying to protect Link from further harm; she knows him best, thus knows that as long as Sheik is around, he won't stop hoping, and he won't look at anybody else. And since Sheik (at least in Navi's opinion) won't see how awesome Link is she's decided, right, I'm going to solve this problem for him. And that means getting rid of the distraction.**

**If she KNEW Sheik was beginning to feel the same way, then she would've been shouting: DAMN IT, SHEIK, ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? Why don't you remember? Are you blind? He remembers you! He STILL LOVES YOU! And screw whatever he said about you looking like whoever, becuase it's ALWAYS BEEN YOU. Do you love him? Don't you? Do you or do you not? If so, GO ON! Talk to him! Force him to tell the truth! NOW!**

**Something like that, anyway.**

**OMG! Two more chapters to go! That was the bad news. The good news is this: Every chapter, by my laptop, is exactly 6 pages long. All of them. I cut and paste and shorten and elongen (I know that's not a word) sentences and paragraphs to fit the 6 pages exactly, unless I make little fixes on the document section itself. **

**Anyway, usually 6 pages, so the word count for each chapter is like 5000 words, give or take couple of hundreds, depending on how many small words I use. **

**Chapter 19, and the Epilogue, is twice that size, and more.**

**So, basically the good news is, the last two chapters are going to be massive. So you'll be enjoying them a lot more, yeah? Excited?**

**Anyway, enough with the babble: REVIEW REPLIES!**

**_Arian Reesu_: And the fun as begun with the Chaos of Navi. Stupid fairy... At least she's funny? Sorta? lol, yeah, school work... not good. It's not going well, man, I am so screwed...**

**_Lady Kurina_: I know, eh? While playing TP, I was like, DAMN IT, MIDNA, WHY AREN'T YOU AS HELPFUL AS NAVI? I missed that talkative blue ball, even if she was annoying. And yeah, Sheik's beginning to work out what her dreams are about, and getting more attracted to Link by the day. Ah, young love. Oni comes back in a memory in the next one, and oh man, he is a BASTARD. You'll love it, lol. **

**_Darkwolflink1_: Yay for cuteness huh? Sorry man, I don't think there'll be a part 2 to this; Link needs a hell of a break. And as for the settling part... we shall see... **

**_Erendan_: OMG THANK GOD IT WAS A JOKE. lol, man, when I first saw that I was like 'NNnnnuuuu... oh. okay.' Phew. Hahaha, but that was one exciting review. Thanks for the shock, it was surprisingly fun. Anyway, here's the chapter! Onwards we go!**

**_Sparty the Bold_: You and your long reviews... XD This is gonna be a toughie! Yes, NAVI. BWAHAHAHAHAA. There's such a wide range of lovers and haters for this character it's just so much fun using her. And I want to read that story! Please? It's okay that Navi dies, I wanna read it! XD I know! Settling down is so sensible and a common-sense thing to do, it's no wonder Link hasn't thought on it. Common sense and him don't go well together. And yeah, there definitely will be a hell of a lot of monsters living in that bag. It's like a freakin portable universe. As for these review replies, I do them because this is prety much the only place I can review reply anonymous reviews. And just putting those up here is kinda sad, so, hey, why not do all of them? Someone else did it for me and i liked seeing my name on the fic too, so there's some shameless advertising going on as well. :P Ah, how life and the mind works... yes... Navi does end up being a bit of an evil bug at the end, don't she? lol. Anyway, glad you like, and I hope you're not too angry with our pesky blue ball, lol. **

**_k-shee_: Heya KK! XD I give you nickname too! And congrats on that! That's so exciting! 8D It really is a glorious moment, yes, yes! Yes, Link, stop being a emo maskmaker. Or at the very least a paranoid and mopey one. God. Link being a demigod WOULD explain a hell of a lot, eh? The things he can do and stuff... Hodling out for a Hero is a very good song. I like the remake better, though. **

**_Kaze Wolf_: Oh man, I bet is IS Oni messing with destiny to bring Navi over. I mean, COME ON, look at what Navi did to Sheik at the end of this thing! SHOCKER. And yes, though I didn't write it Link got some nagging from his friend, lol. **

**_goldenrhino_: Ahaha, that's pretty much why I put her in there; some people find her annoying, and some people don't. Ah, I'm glad you noticed that! The whole sword thing. Sheik finds it heavy because though Link gave her permission to wield it, it's HIS sword, and the sword's like, 'I don't want to be used by you' so it made itself heavy. But yeah, even for a kid the thing was pretty heavy, but in those days he could still fit the Goron bracelet on, so that gave him an extra boost to swing it round like crazy. He wears the bronze gauntlets to make it easier to swing with one hand; he doesn't need them if he's handling the sword with two. I love explaining stuff. :D**

**_Dark Lord Link_: I bet she didn't tickle your fancy at the very end, lol. XD I know! He has a terrible life, don't he? But he gets some peace soon, which is nice. **

**_Human Riot_: Yes, Navi really does have a big mouth, poor Link. And the fact that she thinks she knows everything that'll solve his problems... not the best personality combo, eh? Yes she is! Now Sheik and Then Sheik are merging little by little! You see it more in the next chapter, though. Ah, well, all good things must come to an end. I'm glad you found it so enjoyable, though. **

**_Dragon Xander_: Hahaha, she so would've freaked Sheik out but Link didn't give Navi the chance. :P Yeah, Link was looking for his mentor because Link reckons he survived the fire that Link caused to destroy the maskmakers' cult. And he's worried Sir followed him here and kill everything he loves, i.e., Sheik and Kafei and Anju and stuff. Omg... cleaning Link's sword... yeah, I think it's a little bit of both, because, I was like, hmmm... when Sheik asked 'Can I hold it?'  
Not the best train of thought... XD  
Oh, Link drinks, just not when he's pretty sure something MEGA BAD is about to happen, and he knows what alcohol does to poeple (and himself), though I bet he would be like how you described in this fic, lol. Actually, there's a Link/Sheik/Drunk! Oneshot I've written, it's called "Losing the Plot." If you wan to see some drunk Shink romance, that's a good one. **

**_Steviedude12_: Ahaha, yeah, or the partners are like, you know, bad things happen to ya all the time, so I'm just... gonna go, eh. lol. But I bet you don;t like her anymore, after what she did. BWAHAHAHAAAA.**

**_Missing Triforce_: NAVI! XD Almost everyone's ocmmented on her, lol. Either love or hate, and nothing in between. XD Thank you! It's just that, when I was playing MM, all the masks were so shiny, right? So I thought, hmmm... that can't be wood... so that's how Link made his. Actually, about the plot-hole, you were dead on right, and so was I. He opened his eyes at the Oni-Mad God bit, but he CLOSED THEM AGAIN. And then he didn't officially open his eyes once more. So I apologise for my mistake, and humbly bow down to you for catching something I missed, like, thousands of times. Yeah, he really shouldn't have slept with Pamela, and he thinks that too. And the only way Link will believe that he'll have a chance with Sheik is for Sheik to tell him herself. That'll break his doubts to smithereens! Hopefully. **

**Seeing you guys' reviews just make my day. It's pretty much why I decided to update every three days instead of a week. It's a drug without the pill, man. **

**Thanks so much for reviewing! Two chapters to go, guys!**


	19. Run

**OMG guys, this is the second to last chapter! Isn't it horrifying? After this, there will be ONE CHAPTER, and then it'd be OOOVEEER!**

**I looked at my page count and it was freakin' A HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN PAGES. Seriously? 150 for a bloody fanfic? I must be obssessed...**

**Anyway, here it is, hope you enjoy, and... see you at the bottom for review replies!**

* * *

****

19 -Run

Link returned to his stall when the fireworks started and the people cheered. His fear subsided by a lot; no moon had crashed, his mentor that he was pretty sure was dead hadn't arrived here spontaneously, and so far there hadn't been any signs of disaster approaching. Even if there was, Link realised with some shock, Sheik would See it coming.

Wolfos barked and huffed and tried to climb up his boots, whining pitifully, which made him a little miffed. Yes, he supposed a puppy would be a little playful, but _seriously_? Wolfos was supposed to be a _stray_. They were meant to be savage and distrusting, but no, the dog that he'd picked up _had_ to be the endearing, trusting type that Link found annoying but unable to abandon.

Link picked him up and jostled him like a baby. Well, he thought (grimacing), as the dog slobbered over his neck, he'll get tired and fall asleep soon, and he might be used to not having enough to eat, which would be a useful trait in his travels. The trouble was the training. How do you teach a creature like this to sit and lie down, or heel, or just plainly _run away_?

The dog stank, too. Link coughed with disgust and put the canine down. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

The fairy sniffed. "Hmph. A person in a mask came to hand out these flyers."

"...Flyers?" Link bent over to see the papers she was holding down, making her fly away.

"Eeeew, Link! You stink of wet dog!"

"Blame the thing at my foot," the Hylian unconcernedly replied, shifting the flyers into the light of the cheering, mad crowd. He looked at the pictures, and frowned. "Archery and... sparring? There's a sparring tournament here?"

"Seems like it," Navi replied with a shrug-worthy tone, "You going to enter?"

"Archery, maybe. I'm not interested in the sparring, though." Link folded the papers and shoved it in his pocket. "I don't want to hurt anybody."

"You're going to fall out of shape if you say that."

"As if Oni would let me," Link muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.

-,-'-,-'-,-

They closed the stall at the end of the first day into the carnival. He couldn't be bothered waiting for more buyers, and he'd sold enough in his opinion. He packed the place down when the people were busy eating, so the stall, as far as everybody else was concerned, simply melted away.

The party of three went back to the inn and gladly ate their fill. Link forced the dog to take a bath before he was made to do the same; both master and dog looked distinctly disgruntled.

That changed when Wolfos happily played with Anju's daughters. Link's mood took a dive into dark places as he received a book on how to train dogs.

Navi was reading it out loud to him as he nursed a mug of cream tea when Anju gave him a puzzled look. "Link, didn't Sheik invite you to watch her?"

He blinked and looked up. "What? Watch what?"

"She's in the sparring tournament; it's on in twenty minutes."

"I wasn't... Navi," he looked at his friend with confusion, "Who gave you the flyers again?"

"A person in a mask, I wasn't paying much attention," Navi blithely lied, "They just left it on the table when they saw you weren't there."

Link gave a troubled sigh as he stood from the stool. "Damn it, she knows I can't read. Anju, where is this tournament?"

"You should hurry. It's being held just outside the southern gate."

"Alright." Link shut the book (nearly squashing Navi in its pages) and hastily asked Anju to look after Wolfos as he ran not through the front door but up the stairs.

Navi screeched her outrage but Link ignored her as he hurriedly rummaged through his pack for a spare pair of boots and some masks and an item he hadn't use for quite a long time. After a stony pause Navi gave a frustrated huff and said, "Link, what are you doing?"

"I," Link replied as he found what he was looking for, and fitted them on the soles of his footwear, "Am taking the Guay's path."

Navi was about to argue a little more but stopped when she saw the hover boots. "Oh no. You can't! People will notice!"

"This sort of thing happens in carnivals all the time, Navi," Link chastised with a grin, clutching two masks in his hand as he clipped another onto his belt, "Besides, I have these to help me along."

She was sceptical. One looked like a child's toy and the other just plainly looked pathetic. "What do they do?"

Link climbed out the window and jumped onto a nearby roof, the boots lending him some lift and softening gravity's hold. "Just go ahead and tell her I'm coming."

"Nuh-uh." Link could imagine her sticking out her tongue as she said so. "I'm not telling her _anything_ till she stops hurting you."

The Hylian gave an aggravated sigh and wore the Bunny Hood. He sprinted faster than he normally did, making Navi squeak and make an effort to keep up. The boots lightened his foot-steps, but he kept away from the main streets as he leapt and sprinted over the rooftops, safe from the sight of the carnival-goers, not to mention the congestion.

With ten minutes to go Link was out of tall houses, and though he was in the southern block he still had a whole square full of drunken party-goers, children, possibly dogs, and stalls to get past. It would take more time than he had.

Link adjusted the Bunny Hood. "Navi whatever you do, don't break my concentration."

The fairy looked at the crowd, then at him, worked it out, and was utterly horrified. "You're not going to _walk on air _the rest of the way, _are you_!"

Link eased himself as far back as he could on the roof for the run-up. "I'm going to _run_, Navi, what made you think I'd walk?"

"Those people will _notice_!"

"Not with _this_!" Link charged and _leapt_, using the momentum the Bunny hood would give him to its full potential before switching masks and gripping air with his feet, launching into the maddest dash of his life.

Nobody looked up. Even if they did, it didn't occur to them to find the flying, sprinting man odd. Link tore away with his pumping limbs, as the power of the boots drained his energy, bit by bit, succumbing to gravity, reaching towards the ground. Link prayed that he'd get to the gate, because the last thing he needed was to plummet into a congestion of performers.

After a long two minutes Link touched down. He gasped and leaned on his knees as the gate loomed above him admonishingly. He'd made it. _Ha_.

Navi looked at him, then at the guard who was looking more at _her_ than the man who'd just walked on air, and looked back at Link again. "_What_?"

"I'll interpret that as 'what the hell is going on'," Link whispered as he tiptoed past the guard, entering the bustling field before taking off the extraordinary mask, "This is the Stone Mask. Makes me unnoticeable as a pebble on a road. _Very_ useful when I want to do things like that."

Navi gave an exasperated sigh. "The way you burst out of that inn, not to mention how you got here, you'd think that you're rescuing her from an imminent death."

Link sheepishly twisted his face. "Can you fly up and see where she is for me?"

"_Link_," his fairy insisted, flying into his line of sight, "You've got to stop this."

The Hylian pushed past her. "Stop what?"

"I can understand that you've loved her for a very long time, but she's not who you thought she was, is she? She's not the Sheik that you fell in love with, she's not-"

"I know, _I know_," Link hissed, pushing into the crowd of well-wishers of the sparring match, "I know that what I'm doing is just cutting me deeper, I know it's not helping, I know, _alright_?"

"Then why-"

"_Because I can't help it_!" he strangled out, spinning round to bare his teeth at her, "I can't help but keep trying, keep banging on the figurative wall because it's what I've been doing for the last fourteen years, Navi, _fourteen_!" he turned back round, searching the line of fighters for that hair, the eyes, the way she stood, always with one hand holding the other arm as if she was about to cross them, but not really, "Habits are hard to break."

"But-"

"And you know what?" he added stubbornly, "She may not be exactly the same as _those years_, but she still had troubles, she still loves raisin bread, she still doesn't like to get unnecessarily wet, hates the dark, doesn't like to be patted, she still takes the time to try and make my life easier, _regardless_ of whether it makes things worse for me, or her relationship with that boyfriend. She's still that nervous ball of... gah! Just...!"

He deflated and glared at the people that were staring at him. "Let's go to higher ground, Navi, we'll be able to see better. At least, I will."

Navi grudgingly followed him and asked, "How?"

"Hawkeye." He tapped the mask on his belt, which indeed resembled a hawk, "Amplifies my sight like a telescope, only a hell of a lot better."

The fairy sighed. "I'll go look for her for you, what do you want me to say?"

He gave his best friend his best grateful smile. "I could hug you."

"You going to tell that to Sheik, lover-boy?"

The Hylian laughed. "No. I meant you, Navi."

"I support _you_. I won't be happy with _her_ till she makes you happy. _Properly_."

He rolled his eyes, predicting the likelihood of that to be exceptionally low. "Tell her I'm watching, and I wish her good luck. Tell her I'm sorry I was late, and..."

Navi tilted to the side and teasingly said, "You love her?"

Link glared. "Don't, you, _dare_."

"Yeah, yeah, you're sorry, you wish her luck, you're watching, and I'll give her tips about stuff on your behalf."

"...Thanks."

"You owe me a portable fountain for this." She grumbled before flying off.

"I'll get right to designing it as soon as we get back to Hyrule."

-,-'-,-'-,-

When Navi found her standing in line with a boy she hadn't seen before, if she had eyes she would've rubbed them in... this, this was beyond mere _shock_. It was shock steak with shock sauce, garnished with minced shock. The fairy zipped up to the girl and whirled, making a strangled sound of words jumbling and mixing in their hurry to be blurted out.

Sheik forced her trembling lips into a smile. "Hi Navi. This is... really bad timing."

The fairy vacantly fluttered her wings, not registering the silent plea for her to leave, finally whispering, "Where did you _get_ that?"

"We found it on the doorstep this morning." Sheik spread her arms out and resignedly twisted her body to display the outfit, "It's a gift from Igos, so I thought I might wear it."

Navi was beyond words. If she had a jaw she would've dropped it, if she had shoulders she would've let them slump. If Link saw this...

"Bell," the boy spoke with some desperation, "This isn't how-"

"How many times have I asked you to stop _calling_ me that?" she gritted out, and Navi jolted when she saw her red eyes were brimming with tears, "_That's_ our problem, that's why this doesn't work. I've changed, I've _wanted _to change and..."

Jim faltered, combing his orange-blonde hair from his freckled face, obviously trying to find a suitable topic change, "So, uh, what is that?"

"_That_ is a _fairy_ that talks, mortal boy," Navi spoke dangerously, reminding him of an angry Link, "And who're _you_?"

"Jim. Bell's..." he looked at the girl, and said as if it pained him. "Sheik's friend."

Navi spun back on Sheik, and would've glowered. "Jim, huh."

"Navi," Sheik pleaded with her, "If it's important could you come back in five-"

"No. No, that's fine. I was about to leave anyway. I'll... I'll get going," Jim said, and gave her a hesitant hug before melting into the crowd. Sheik gave a shuddering sigh and sat down on the grass, gripping a wooden stick that resembled a long knife so hard her hands shook.

Navi fluttered by her, settling on the grass dubiously. "Did... what I think I just saw happen, happen?"

Sheik nodded.

"But, um... Why'd you do that?"

"I'm showing you what I've got," she said, giving a shuddering sigh. "And that's just the beginning."

-,-'-,-'-,-

When she climbed onto the stage, Link could've sworn he was dreaming. The suit didn't fit her as snugly, nor was it as ragged, but it was still the same, the royal blue suit with the white tabard, the red Crying Eye dyed splendidly proud over the cloth. She'd tied her hair back, and instead of the cowl, was wearing the Mask of Truth.

Link was wondering how the hell she got that suit till he gruffly muttered, "_Igos_."

She was good. Just like the old days. She breezed through the first round, and the second, Link winced when the contestants wore _his_ masks against her, but her knife was true, and so was her speed. She leapt over enemies like a dream, parrying swipes from fake weapons as easily as batting flies, and goddesses she was beautiful, virtually dancing in the fight. He wondered whether the others knew they were fighting a child of seventeen, as she bested them at their own game.

He suddenly wished he'd entered, just to see how they'd match.

She looked happy. It saddened him that he couldn't be there, but she looked happy.

After the competition ended, Navi found him perched on the southern wall, the crowds on both sides telling him that it would be best if he got off before he fell. He looked pale, and sick. Navi rushed to his side, suddenly terrified for him. "Link, Link, what's wrong?"

He swallowed, and chuckled nervously. "I just remembered something. Something really, really bad."

"What... what is it?"

"Sheik's dreams. They're about the past. She's remembering everything that happened in the Lost Years. I don't know how far she's gone, but I don't think she met me yet; she would've asked me about it if she had."

Navi fluttered her wings, uncertain. "Isn't that, good? She'll remember you too, and-"

"_Everything_, Navi, _everything_." He interrupted, anguish tearing at his voice, "What happened to her before our very eyes? In the Temple of Time, you remember, don't you?"

"In the Temple of..." Navi gasped, and Link shuddered. He gritted his teeth as he viciously clamped his hand against his face.

Link stood up recklessly fast, alarming the crowd with his antics, "We're leaving. Tomorrow, if not tonight."

He turned and waved at them, shouting he was alright before putting on the Stone Mask. The people dubiously looked at him before accepting that he would be alright, forgetting that a man had been dangerously gallivanting on the wall as soon as they did so.

Link clipped on the magic soles for his boots before walking east, lightly jumping off the wall to float down to the ground.

"But Link," Navi reasoned, "Shouldn't we...?"

"No. If we warn her she'll be terrified. Besides, she says so herself, in her dreams. Maybe she already knows. I don't know. What I _do_ know is that I can't be there. I can't."

The fairy paused. This didn't sound like Link. In fact, it almost sounded like... "Are you... _running away_?"

Link's shoulders tensed as he flinched. He took off the soles of the hover boots once more, clipping them onto his belt. "Yes. Yes I am."

Shock coursed through the fairy's soul. "_What_?"

"Let me be a coward just this once, Navi, please, _just this once_." He pleaded, spinning round and gesticulating wildly, "Back then she had years to come to terms with it; she barely had months now. I know I should stay to comfort her, but I can't, _I can't_. If that memory is going to be as bad for her as it was for me, I don't want to be here to see it. If the worst comes to worst, if time _repeats itself_... I can't be here. And even before that, when I come out of my sleep, she'll know it's me, and I'll have to spill my guts out to her, and I can't take another rejection from her. So before she has the chance to tell me how much she despises me, I'm running away Navi, I'm going to be a coward and I'm scrambling out of here as fast as I damn-well can."

Navi sighed, fluttering uncertainly at his fear. "...I'll help you pack."

-,-'-,-'-,-

"But what about her archery contest tomorrow?" Anju asked again, twisting the figurative blade in Link's chest, "And I made a special roast to celebrate her finally getting into the top three for the match today. Why must you leave _now_?"

Because he hadn't told her the whole truth. Because he had wanted whatever scrap of attention, of affection, just general acceptance from her, because he'd been afraid of what she might say or do to him, he had downplayed her part on her memory-dreams, and Link, for the first time, didn't want to face the consequences.

He was so very afraid of losing Sheik again...

"She won't be competing tomorrow."

Anju and Link turned around to find Kafei rubbing his balding head. Link was the first to ask with some hint of panic, "What?"

"She's not feeling well." Kafei explained, "She's taken to bed. Considering the lack of sleep she'd been suffering from, it's no surprise. She was probably holding a cold back."

"Oh dear," Anju placed a hand to her throat, concerned. "Shall I get her some tea?"

"No, no, she's asleep now," the man waved it off and eyed Link in such a way that made him feel guilty. "You're leaving?"

"U-um..." Link was aware that he was suddenly the youngest here, the one with the least metaphorical power. "Something came up."

Kafei eyed him a little while longer before giving a dismissing wave. "You should stay the night, for the celebration. We've held you back long enough from your adventuring, so one night shouldn't make much of a difference."

"It's not that I haven't enjoyed being here." Link defended himself, feeling completely like a child, "I'm grateful that you've had me, and I'm glad you still consider me a friend after all these years, both of you. It's just... something came up."

"We won't hold you back, then," Kafei smiled, spreading his arms to offer a hug, "You have your own affairs, and we've got ours. But if this is the last that we're seeing of you, we'd appreciate it if you'd stay just the one night. Sheik said herself that she'll be up for dinner."

Link knew that this was the only compromise that he would be given, so he accepted it. The two friends hugged and Link promised that he'd come back soon, not sure whether he was lying again or not.

-,-'-,-'-,-

Dinner was a happy affair. There was juice, wine, beer, an unbelievable amount of roast cucco, and enough vegetables to drown a field. Link congratulated Sheik on her reaching second place, and she replied that it was all thanks to Navi. The rest of the night he talked to Kafei about business and the performers about masks and their acts. He counted the hours till they were allowed to go to sleep, and then in the dark he counted his minutes till everyone was no longer awake.

He coaxed Navi into his pocket and snuck out the window, his ridiculously large pack of supplies and equipment waiting on the roof, a snoozing Wolfos dangling out of one of the side-pockets. He shouldered the pack and leapt across rooftops, using the hover boots again, gently gliding down to the front of the gate. He'd made his bed, and left enough payment for his stay and his future one. He hoped they would find his escape typical of his behaviour.

When he exited through the East Gate, the one that led to the Canyons, he froze. Someone was sitting on the stairs that led to the field, as if waiting for him.

The moonlight glinted off the Mask of Truth.

Link swore, fear rooting him to the spot. Navi sleepily drifted out of his pocket as Wolfos yawned, breaking whatever hope he had of going unnoticed by the girl.

Sheik hopped off the stairs and walked straight towards him, until they stood only an arm-span apart. Link sighed and unhooked his equipment from his back, setting it on the ground.

"So," Link tried to be flippant; he only sounded arrogant. "I suppose you Saw me coming."

The masked girl shook her head. "I can't See you."

That genuinely surprised him. "What?"

"I've never been able to See you. I didn't See you coming; I didn't See what would happen in the Canyons. Even with this on..." she touched the mask before dropping her hand, "I can See Navi's future better than yours. I guessed you'd come here because I Saw one of the performers being disturbed in their sleep about now, and this Gate is the closest to the inn. I was just lucky."

There was silence between them then, and Link couldn't break it even if his life depended on it. Either way, it was Sheik that spoke, her voice hollow with tire and betrayal, the Eye of the Sheikah boring into his soul, "You lied to me."

He was in deep shit anyway; might as well pull one last bluff. "What makes you think that?"

In the same dead tone, she simply said, "I felt myself die."

Navi gasped. Link swallowed dry spit and, after taking a long breath, said, "Your dreams had gone that far...?"

Sheik nodded before she took the mask off, staring at him balefully. "You lied to me."

He bit his lip before shamefully lowering his head. His tone was sad. "I never said that you weren't her."

"You never said I _was_."

"Would you have believed me?"

"That doesn't matter!" she yelled, balling her fists against her side, tears brimming on her lashes, "You made me think I was seeing some stranger's memories, a war that had _nothing_ to do with me. But it was me, all along."

She took a deep breath, her whole body shaking. "Why didn't you tell me? You recognised me, didn't you? Or at the very least you worked it out."

Link looked down and up before meeting Sheik's gaze. "I didn't want to burden you. If you'd forgotten, I thought it was best it stayed that way. There's no War. Just peace. And you deserved that."

"How did I get involved?"

The Maskmaker chewed his lip before forcing himself to recite the speech he'd desperately cobbled together in the wild. "Princess Zelda was warned by the Goddesses. Like I said, disaster on a mass-murder scale. I collected these jewels called Spiritual Stones that allowed me to get to the Master Sword, a legendary weapon forged long ago. But I was too young to fight, and it trapped me in sleep for seven years, and the war escalated unchecked. While I was gone, Zelda escaped here, and would've been caught by Ganon if it weren't for you. You were three years old."

"But how can that even _work?_"

"When Zelda came here," Link continued, stubbornly, "Termina was experiencing what the past Sheikah named as The Three Days of Calamity. Remember the paintings on the walls? You Saw it coming, and the one responsible, Majora's mask, hurt you. To the point of near-death. According to Zelda, you called her to you, and your soul was somehow housed in her body. All of you escaped. Your body died when the Moon crashed into the Clocktower, but your soul lived. You and Zelda shared the same body for seven years of war, and later acted as my guide through some Temples to weaken Ganon's magical hold on the country. I defeated him, and Zelda reversed time. I grew up in the seven years I initially slept through, the moon didn't crash, and you didn't... you were alright. Any questions?"

"...So you _can_ travel through time."

"Only if I have the right equipment."

She shook her head, and the tears fell like rain. "You defeated that much darkness when you were _seventeen_?"

Link made an iffy gesture as Navi piped up, "Technically he was still _ten_."

Sheik chuckled as she dropped her head into her hands, sobbing. Link hesitated, but when he felt a nudge against his arm from Navi he gently held her against his chest as she cried. For the first time he was glad that he wasn't seventeen, like her; he wouldn't have had the _slightest _clue on how to comfort her. He rubbed her back and shushed her, patting her head. He smiled when he got the desired reply: "C-can you... please not p-pat me?"

"Alright," he murmured against her hair before pushing himself away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the whole truth. I swear to Furore I didn't know what you were dreaming at first, I didn't... I didn't want to influence what... this is your life, now. I didn't want to interfere."

She sniffled and wiped her face, but she couldn't stop herself crying. He didn't blame her; she'd felt herself bloody _die_.

"Nobody should have to relive that." He hugged her again, tightly. "I'm sorry."

She gripped the front of his shirt, scrunching the fabric tightly in her fists. "I... I died..."

He bit his lip and gently made her let him go. "You're alive now. Everything's fine, see?"

"That's not _it_!" Sheik spat, glaring straight into his eyes, "At the Canyons, you said you missed your guide. _I_ was your guide. Right?"

Link flinched.

"I lied to you then," she sobbed, "I lied that I wouldn't die."

Tears were glistening down her face like a coating of stars. Her voice broke as she wiped them away, trembling with her tears. "You waited for me..."

"We were both ten, Sheik," his body was screaming that _that was NOT what he wanted to say_ but he was still trying to find a way out, to keep his heart as unbroken as it could get. "Just ten. It didn't even happen for you."

A sob racked her frame, as she whimpered, "I'm so sorry..."

That was the last thing he wanted to hear. Not another rejection. Not one so permanent and solid that it would completely shatter him beyond repair, no...

"But I... I l-love you."

Link utterly froze. "...Wha-?"

"I know I'm not the same as I was then, I'm weak and immature and a terrified child but I love you, I've always loved you, in the back of my mind you were always there, my hero, my wonderful hero that knew me for who I was, Link, Link..."

He held her close, shushing her, now having _no idea_ what was going on, "Sheik, what, but..."

She sniffed, wiping her face against his shirt, "I Saw Jim with someone else. I let him go."

A spasm of rage coursed through his veins. "He _cheated_ on-?"

"_No_, no, that's not what I meant," she strangled out, gripping the front of his shirt in her fists, "I _Saw_, my sight, it showed me him with a girl from class, when I _shouldn't_. I can't See Kafei, I can't See Anju, I can't See my family and loved ones because that's how it should _work._ I can't See what happens to them, I can't See what happens to _me_ because it would drive me insane. And I used to not be able to See Jim's future. Now I can."

He was trying to make sense of her desperate babbling, as he looked at her, she at him, tears sliding down her mask-like face. "I've never been able to See what happens to you, since the moment I saw you sitting in front of Kafei. Not even once."

Something in Link's chest clenched and twisted, painfully.

She shuddered and coughed, untangling herself from him, laughing hollowly. "I was going to be all elegant but that didn't really work out..."

"Sheik...?"

She gave a shuddering breath, clenching her fists against her sides. "I know you only think of me as a child, and, I know I'll never compare to who I was back then. But if there's a chance, if there's a chance that you'll forgive me for forgetting, the _slightest_ _fragment_ of a chance that you love me too, I-"

"Shut up."

The hurt didn't have a chance to cross her eyes as he kissed her. It was a nervous, chaste, but loving kiss, and when he pulled back shock was clear in her eyes, as he cradled her head between his hands, he brushed his nose against hers, breath trembling, heart hammering painfully fast in a desperate beat as he held himself back just a few seconds longer, to let her know what he wanted, needed, before he finally uttered those forbidden words:

"I love you."

He kissed her again, _hard_. He kissed her without restraint, gut wrenching with released pain and heartache as she kissed desperately back, the touches seasoned with tears, gasps lacing her tongue as he nipped her jaw, her neck, lower. He growled her name as she moaned his, drowning in hot lips, clinging to the other, stamping decorum and romance to a bloody pulp; every touch, every lick and nip and gasp was fuelled by animal _want_, driving them into each other, heat throbbing in their cores, one mouth branding the other...

"Ahem," Navi said, breaking their frenzied reunion, sitting on Wolfos's bemused head, "We're still here you know."

-,-'-,-'-,-

_A ten year old girl was sobbing in the dark, blond hair a mess, body emaciated, her eyes glistening red like a fresh wound. Oni stood in front of her with a dubious expression, scratching his head. Rolling his eyes, he finally gave a frustrated growl and snapped at her. "You got your goodbyes, why are you still snivelling?"_

"_You wouldn't know," the girl wept as she buried her face into her arms, "You don't die."_

_Oni's expression was one of begrudging agreement. But still. "It's not like you'll _stay_ dead."_

"_But what if he doesn't remember me?" she sobbed, glaring at the God, "What if he forgets me and I never see him again?"_

_The Fierce Deity snorted. "Oh he'll remember _you_, trust me. He's stupid like that."_

_The girl snapped her gaze up from her arms and barred her teeth at the God. "Take that back!"_

"_Yeah, no," the God mocked back, "Cuz he's gonna keep looking for you till he drops."_

"_Don't say that!" she screeched, standing and pointing at him, "I hate you! I hate you!"_

_The God whistled, giving a show of seeming impressed before patting the girl's head. She had the look about her that said she'd been forced to endure that gesture for years upon years. "Keep on like that and I'll make _you_ remember each and every day of these hell-plays like there's no hope left."_

_She blinked, silent tears dripping down. "What do you mean? Will... will _I_ forget?"_

"_Of course you will, Seer of mine," he cackled, tweaking her nose, "You were Three when this started. You may be one freaked out baby with some serious issues when you grow up, but this'll all be a blur, a nightmare you can't tell a soul."_

"_But that's not fair!" she protested, grabbing the God's arm, "Why won't I remember?"_

"_Because he's ten, girl."_

"_But I'm ten too!"_

"_No, _he's_ ten when _you're_ three. He's seven years older than you, twerp."_

_She was completely, hysterically, _angry_. She swore like a soldier and called him childish names for the unfairness, the _injustice_. Then she collapsed and sobbed at The Fierce Deity's feet, and it was with a puzzled expression that the god picked the girl up by the scruff of her skirt like a kitten. "When you grow up to be this big, this is how big your precious hero will be. Don't you think you're better off letting go?"_

_The girl sobbed as the god pointed at himself. "But I like him. Like, _like_-like him."_

_The god irritably rolled his eyes, shaking the girl. "Why are you mortals so freakin' _stubborn_? It's like a disease with the likes of you, honestly. You think the kid would care when he finds out that you're just a midget?"_

"_But I like him!"_

_The god sighed again as he dropped the girl. She landed on her feet and glared at the tattoo-faced man, as he conjured something in his hands. It was a goblet made of grey stone, and inside it was a murky mass of bruise-coloured clouds. _

"_See this, girl?" he asked, letting it float into her grasp, "These are the forgotten moments, the cursed years, the horrors and tragedies and despair."_

_She made a distasteful face at the colours, but eyed the god with some hope. "So, I won't forget?"_

"_You will," Oni shrugged, "But you'll be reminded with these. You want your nightmares, you got them. Literally."_

_She frowned at the cup and quoted an old saying. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."_

"_Consider the pain the payment. I honestly don't care."_

"_No working? No praying? No fighting off monsters?"_

"_You'll cheat by getting Hopper-boy to do it with you anyway," Oni muttered, "And you remind me of that infernal woman too much to handle you anymore."_

_The girl murmured thanks into the rim of the cup as she glugged the Seven Year war down her throat. Oni smirked._

"_I hereby bind you to your masochistic wish to relive the Seven Year War as walker of the Hero's path, to dream nightmares past gone and fear horrors not committed. The time you come of age is the time the trail will begin; let's see if you can live through it after so much peace, my Sheikah."_

-,-'-,-'-,-

Link woke up with some difficulty, his arm plagued by numb pins-and-needles, a comforting warmth lying flush against him, anchoring him to sleep. He rolled on top of it, the smell of hair and copper skin making him smile. He opened his eyes, watching drowsy red orbs blink back at him. He smiled. "Sleep well?"

She moaned, dragging an arm round his middle to hug him. "Stupid Navi..."

He chuckled, closing his eyes again. "Now you know how it feels."

"Still here," the fairy reminded them sleepily, nestled in the crook of Wolfos' sleeping form. The dog was a massive weight against Link's leg. He tried shifting the animal but it whined in its sleep and didn't budge.

Link rolled off her, yawning, gently prodding her rib and made her giggle and squirm. "Can you get off my arm? I can't feel it."

She did so, and Link gave a thankful grunt as he massaged the feeling back into his limb. Sheik watched him through a curtain of her hair, red eyes glinting in the morning light.

"Will your pack be okay? I think you left it at the gate."

"Shit," Link groaned, dropping his arm, "You're right. I should probably go get it soon. And being found in your bed," he added as he forced himself up, looking down at her fondly, "Would probably give Kafei a heart attack."

She stuck her tongue out at him defiantly. "I can do what I like with whoever I like."

Link snorted, leaned down to kiss her, and a small, still stunned part of him shuddered with relief as she kissed him back, making a happy sound at the back of her throat. "Fitting," he murmured, as he kissed her cheek, "Considering you wanted to remember all _that_... because you _like _-liked me."

She blinked, embarrassment colouring her cheek. "Oni showed you that?"

"Probably," Link chuckled, searching the floor for the boots he'd kicked off, and frowning somewhat when Wolfos brought them, covered in slobber. "You think any stalls are open?"

"We've got another two days of Carnival; of course stalls will be open." She teased, flopping against his side, "Don't you want to get changed, though? It's pretty obvious you've slept in that outfit."

"My change _is_ in my bag," Link retorted, shoving his feet into his footwear, "And I was asking in case you wanted something."

"Nah," she sighed, grinning from ear to ear, "I have everything I could want."

He snorted, shaking his head. He was about to stand, but he paused, pensively looking at her. Worry gnawed his gut. "Isn't this, weird, for you?"

She blinked, baffled. "What's weird?"

"The age difference."

"If there's anything weird about this, it's the fact that _you're_ interested in _me_." She shrugged, sliding over and placing her head on his lap, "Girls typically prefer older guys, you know. It's just a matter of getting them to like us back."

He cocked an eyebrow doubtfully. "And seven years older is alright?"

She grinned. "The girls are going to be so jealous."

He couldn't help but smile as he brushed her fringe away, and she closed her eyes and purred at his touch. She nuzzled his stomach and Wolfos whinged till Link rolled his eyes and ruffled his fur till the puppy was happy. "You're going to have to get off me, both of you, if you don't want my livelihood stolen."

"Do _you_ think it's weird?" She asked back, looking a little worried.

Link nodded, curling a lock of her hair round his forefinger, "I waited a very long time for this. So long that I didn't expect it to ever come true."

"I... I'm sorry I did that to you."

"It's not your fault," Link chuckled, "None of us knew _anything_ about what was going on. Gods," he moaned, standing and stretching, snapping his spine a little, "When Kafei said _Sheik_ I thought I was dreaming."

"Then," she stood, spun him round and kissed him, gently cupping his jaw in her hands. He blinked in surprise, but smiled as she prolonged the kiss, holding her against him, smirking as she drew away.

He brushed at her hair as he enquired, "What was that for?"

"Just to say I love you," she murmured, "And hoping this dream lasts another seven years."

A laugh burst from him at the brilliantly audacious statement and he held her tightly to himself, vowing to never let her go.

* * *

**Yes, I agree that that was a ridiculously fast transition to lonely/scared to lovey-dovey, but hey, that's pretty much how all my romances go. Except for Once Upon a Fairytale. That one actually develpos the romance bit by bit. But then again, that Link isn't so self-denying and paranoid. :P**

**Hey, at least there's some cuteness, right? **

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_Lady Kurina_: Really? I didn't know that Midna pulled Link's ears all the time. I mus play the game again to see it for myself... ahaha, Navi's just thinking about Link, in her own little way .Anyway, she's made up for it? I hope questions were answered, and you liked Oni's bastardness. XD**

**_Me_: I have lots of stories like that too; really good but updates every few months. Sigh. Anyway, glad you liked this fic, and I hope you stick around for the final chapter. **

**_darkwolflink1_: Ahaha, Navi's just doing what she thinks is best for Link. Anyway, she's changed her mind about Shek, so it's okay now, right? XD As for more fics, I'll probably be forced to study and do my exams before I carry on. But I'll be finishing Once Upon a Fairytale. You might want to check that out to pass the time, if you so wish. :3 **

**_Sparty the Bold: _Yeah, I saw! I was highly dissappointed to see that the one I'd been reading had disappeared too. But hey, if you hated it and wanted to rewrite it, I can understand that. I did that with one of my fics early on... it really was a terrible, terrible fic. But hey, we have those all the time, yeah? Ah, Navi being the Leader of the Kokiri... she lied. She's more of a _representative_. But as far as she was concerned it just didn;t sound cool enough, so leader it was. Stupid Navi. And yeah, it's not their first meeting since they split up at the Temple of Time. When Link got back from places he always went to his treehouse and talked to Navi about his travels and masks and stuff. So yeah. XD Thank you for such a long review, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I shall be looking at the Naked truth... yes I shall. XD**

**_Dark Lord Link_: Oh man, that would be so cool, naming your dog wolfos. But ya gotta make sure it's a breed that looks like a wolfos or Link from TP, eh? The only one that comes to mind for me is the Siberian Huskies... anyway, glad you enjoyed, and I hope this chapter lived up to the last one!**

**_goldenrhino_: So true... stupid game, not making the goron bracelet work the way we want it to... Oh, and Navi lied. She's a bit of a liar in this fic. She's just a representative of the Kokiri, not the leader. But Hylians don't need to know that... ;)**

**_Human Riot_: YUS. The face palm was induced! XD But yeah, Navi. EEJIT FAIRY. And Oni was here! Though it was just a memory... still, he was a wonderful bastard, was he not? ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO NOW! Thank you for your love, and I hope this chapter was worth the slight delay.**

**_Airian Reesu_: Yes, Navi, Navi... those two talk like that pretty much all the time. Though Link loves his fairy sister, she can really give him a headache sometimes... and Link is such a sucker for pets. I bet he always wanted one. And yes, I've manned a stall before. It was during the christmas period, and HOHMYGOD it was like a rollercoaster of boredom and hysteria. Ye gaaahds. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**_Kaze Wolf_: Yep. Nagging of doom was for the imagination (though it can't be hard; seriously, those who have a mother or a bigger 'responsible' sister would know what it's like). Crowds are scary things. Link is in the right for being afraid of them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**_Erendan_: Funnily enough Sheik does exaclty what Navi wanted her to do; to take some sort of action to damn-well end the tension, Din damn it. It was just... in a way Navi didn't expect. XD I hope the wait wasn't too long for this update! And I totally understand that college is a killer. uuuugh...**

**_Missing Triforce_: And the power of exuberance prevailed! The happy ending has finally come! FINALLY! Woot. XD And your prediction was... surprisingly accurate, huh. Awesome work, my friend. You know what's what in my mind! :o Are you perhaps psychic...? And yeah, Navi knows the trade secrets because those two are best friends everrr and Link gets ideas off her, sometimes. And whose she going to tell, anyway? XD I hope you liked the cuteness of this, and I'll be looking forward to your review!**

**_No one Special_: Damn... Link didn't find out what Navi did... but hey, it still worked out! XD **

**_DragonXander_: I recommend Enchanted Hat, Dungeon Dangers, and Losing the Plot. Those are my personal favourites; I would put Once Upon a Fairytale in there too, but I haven't finished it, so, yeah. But I'll be updating OUaF after finishing this, so if you want somethin to look forward to (that is, if you end up liking the story like this one), there's that. Ahaha, sorry, No Navi-bashing. She's just doing what she thinks is best for Link, and she approves of Sheik in the end, so yeah, everything works out. Lol. And fifteen stories isn't that much, considering how Long i've been here. XD **

**THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYS! SEE YOU IN THE EPILOGUE!**


	20. Rose

**OMG it's DONE! This is so ridiculous, it's AMAZING. I can't believe I've surpassed 200 reviews! WHOA, man, (well, men) WHOA. **

**Thank you so much for your support, all of you. If the review numbers go above 250 with this chapter, I'll laugh so hard I'll cry. It would make my year.**

**It has been a short time that this story has been up, but I'm honoured to have gotten such a following. Thank you so very much, all of you. This is the last chapter, here it is, tada, and much else. I made it RIDICULOUSLY romantic at the end. I hope you like.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough.**

- Rose

**

* * *

20**

The Magician's apprentice, Cooro, wasn't quite sure about going up the Tower.

It was only under four months since _the man_ had been appointed Maskmaker of the castle, but he had gained a vast and somewhat unnerving reputation since the day he'd started. Of all the places available for his lodging, he'd chosen the Tower, the coldest, most inconvenient part of the Castle. When he'd moved in all he'd had was a ridiculously large pack, but from it things that shouldn't have fit emerged, one by one, tables, chairs and tents, weapons and paraphernalia and even some living creatures that he efficiently and coldly exterminated.

He also had a fairy with him. And a large dog he'd named after a monster.

His addition as a Royal Staff member had been completely out of the blue, and the folk hadn't been pleased. They'd set him a challenge. Masks were to be made for all of the gentry for the Masquerade Ball within three weeks; the man had accepted the challenge by simply asking for what each of the gentry wanted.

And he had performed beyond everyone's imagination. Masks of all colours, decorated by stones and feathers and scales and claws, gold wire, silver plating, jewels of all shades and shapes. Just for that he'd earned many names behind his back; Dream-maker, Trick-shaper.

Some of the women went so far as to name him Heartbreaker.

Cooro's master called him Fraudster. The old man was sure the maskmaker was in possession of magic far greater than his, and Cooro was to find out by any means necessary. But if the wizard had expected his apprentice to challenge the maskmaker to a duel, the old fart was going to be disappointed.

Because Cooro _knew_. He'd seen that face before, mounted on the Princess's wall, fully alive.

He knocked. There was an excited bark inside and a scrabbling of large paws against the wooden portal. Cooro gripped the wall in case the dog decided to lunge at him.

"Down, Wolfos, _down_," the maskmaker growled behind the door before opening it. Wild blond hair raggedly framed a young but sharp face, and genuine surprise lit the blue eyes before they fell once more into wry, half-hearted amusement. The maskmaker was always found with this expression, a mask of flesh that he never removed.

It was like the world was a joke and he didn't find it funny; just sad.

The black slashes round his left eye and over his cheekbones still made Cooro nervous. Tattoos were worn by savages, wild peoples with dark ways. And the people who'd had the misfortune of catching the man _smiling_ talked of a grin full of smug teeth, delighted by blood.

And the dog really looked like a Wolfos, though a little dopey round the eyes.

"What part of _down_ do you not _get_?" the man asked the dog as it cantered about, calming when the maskmaker shoved his hand on its head to keep it still, "You should get in before this mutt pushes you down the stairs."

Cooro hastily shuffled in. His jaw dropped at the sight of the workshop.

Masks. And equipment. Potted paints and dusts and strange objects, the walls were covered in rows of shelves, and all of them were brimming with impossible things. There was one empty space in the wall, where the forge that sat broodingly under it, and the table that lounged right by. His gaze flickered to the window, where there was a tiny fountain that the fairy was happily flying over. Another staircase curled out of sight. Cooro assumed that that was where the maskmaker slept.

"You're the magician's apprentice, right?"

Cooro jumped and stammered an affirmative. The older man was sitting on his work chair, languidly eyeing the boy. "My name's Link."

"I'm Navi," the blue light said, before returning to play with the water.

"Pleasure," Cooro replied to be polite, before returning his gaze to Link. He was digging in his ear with a fingernail and examining the result before flicking it away. "Sir, um..."

"Your teacher wants to know how I make my masks, right?" he asked, making the apprentice blush, "Yeah, thought so. He's welcome to look around if he wants, but he won't find anything he'll find useful, or unnoticeable enough to take. Good example, that forge there," Link said, tilting his head towards it, "I shaped it out of some weapons that were designed to summon fire. Useful if you're into burning stuff, but taking it out of here will be impossible."

"Link, stop being rude," Navi admonished as she sent spray glittering over her delicate wings.

Link shrugged. "In my defence, he still hasn't introduced himself."

"My name is Cooro, Master Link."

Again, genuine surprise before reverting to that almost-lifeless expression. "Nobody's called me Master, before. At least, nobody alive."

Cooro didn't know quite what to say to that so didn't open his mouth. But curiosity got the better of him. "What do you mean 'alive', sir?"

Another shrug. "I know a King who dabbled in necromancy. I think he's still refurbishing his castle before he goes for his eternal rest with his zombie subjects."

"Stop scaring him."

"I'm not scared!"

"See?" Link grinned at the fairy, "He's not scared."

"I'm _curious_," Cooro corrected before he was cut off again, "About you, sir. Yes, Thurmond sent me to see how you make your masks, but I came not because of that but because I'm curious about your decisions. Why this Tower, for one? Why choose this lonely place when you could have a share of the smithies on the ground?"

"Because I don't like crowds. They worry me. I don't like people coming to me unannounced, and I like quiet when I work. Also, going up and down the stairs tires this bugger out like nothing else. Though hunting down keese seems to be a close second." He nudged the dog with his boot, teasingly, which led to the creature chewing on his footwear. Link sighed and woefully watched his right shoe die. "Anything else you want to know before I kick you out? I'm making something right now, and I want it finished."

"How does the lifespan of a fairy work?"

"Oh Goddesses above," Link threw his hands into the air and pointed at the door. "That'll take days for me to explain. Ask someone who knows more about it."

The disappointment was clear in the apprentice's tone. "Who?"

"Hello," Navi greeted as a reminder before zooming to the door, "Come on, I'm a fairy. I can tell you all you want to know."

"Shove her in a bottle and I'll curse you, Cooro," Link warned as the young man left.

The Maskmaker looked down and seeing the sad expression on Wolfos's face, he gave the canine another nudge with his boot. "Go on, get a hike. Make sure that kid doesn't do anything to Navi, and while you're at it go beg at the kitchens."

There were a specific number of words Wolfos responded well to. Hike and Kitchens were one of the more effective. He shot down the stairs faster than an arrow, barking up a storm.

Link smiled fondly as the door closed on its own, the power of the canine's passing influencing it just so. Wolfos had been a good companion thus far, proving himself sufficient at hunting and patient when it came to Link's grumpy moods. It seemed that as long as the animal was fed, he'd follow the Hylian to the depths of hell.

He rolled his eyes at the fanciful thinking. "Yeah, right."

Link checked the ten-minute hourglass before facing his desk where his nearly-finished mask waited for him and his final touches. It was simple in shape, just covering the top half of the face, but the whole plane was made of white gold and round the eyeholes there were slips of emeralds and rubies. There was a single line cut into the metal that curved upwards from the right bottom corner, branching out to connect with a corner of each eyehole.

After examining it just once more for any imperfections, Link checked the timer and swore. He stumbled out of his chair and grabbed a bottle full of crushed jade before kneeling in front of the forge, taking the mask with him. He got a clamp, opened-grabbed-closed it, and gently placed the metal beaker he'd been heating in the forge onto the floor (also his secondary workbench). He mixed the gloop inside, and was glad that it hadn't burnt but had melted as he'd hoped. Then, with steady hands, he gently poured the green liquid into the groove of the mask, creating a river of molten glass.

Quickly he sprinkled the greenstone fragments on top, shook off the excess, and slid the mask into the forge once more. He waited a few seconds, took it out, looked at it, and returned it to the forge once more, heating licking at his cheek, drying his eyes.

He waited a few more seconds before taking the mask out again. Holding it in a soft-grip clamp Link put it on the desk to cool. If everything went right, the glass would be a gleaming river, the dark jade pieces flecking its side like thorns.

He stared at the mask wistfully, knowing that it would be a while before it would be worn.

-,-'-,-'-,-

He was asleep against his desk when Navi jumped on his head. "Link, Link, Link, Link, Linky-slinky-blinky-inky-pinky Link, Link, Link. Wakey-wakey! Up you get!"

He burrowed his face into his arms, wincing when he felt his back twinge in pain. "Ow..."

"That's what happens when you sleep on your desk," was the amused reply, "You alright?"

He held back a burp as he pressed his hands against his face. "Mmm..."

"You're done!" Navi floated round Link's latest work and cooed. "It's _beautiful_. What's this one's name? You've been working on this since you got here. Come on, tell me, tell me!"

Link rubbed his eyes as the mask stared back at him, and smiled wryly. "It doesn't have one."

Navi paused and looked at her little brother. "...What?"

"It doesn't have a name," he repeated, standing, "At least, not yet."

"...Why?"

"There's no point giving a name to a mask that nobody's worn yet." He rubbed his shoulders and stretched his neck, wincing as he said, "Why did you wake me?"

"There's a letter for you."

He made an expression that could only be described as ecstatic despair, sighing as he went upstairs. "Let's see how I've improved, eh?"

This wasn't where he slept, though it showed that he ate here often. He put away the dirty plates that littered his writing desk into the dumb waiter that led to the kitchens, and sent the box down. On one wall were _his_ weapons and equipment, like the Fairy Sword, the Gilded Blade, the Kokiri Knife (he just couldn't call it a sword anymore, it was too small) and other such paraphernalia he'd collected over the years. On the other side were the dangerous weapons he was systematically taking apart and using for his own purposes. Most of them were blunt or missing hilts and chains and such, which made him quite proud.

On the far side was his wardrobe and the mostly empty bookshelf. He picked out a light nondescript wooden box and changed his boots to a pair that Wolfos hadn't destroyed as of yet, and headed back downstairs.

He ruffled through the box as he wound down the tower, which at first had seemed claustrophobically eternal in both going up and down. Link had remedied that by dotting masks on the walls, their general creepiness escalating as it got closer to his workshop.

The box held letters that he'd received over the months of working in the castle. The first had been sent by Anju and Kafei, for congratulating him on earning the job and his efforts on mastering his letters. The second had been sent by them too, commenting on how Sheik's old cheer had returned over since he (Link) had visited, though her breakup with Jim had been a surprise.

The rest were mostly from Sheik herself, the reason for his wistful moods.

He sighed as he rifled through the different papers with their different inks, the different stamps, and the names of places he vaguely remembered from his own travels. She was going about in the world, alone, and he never knew where she was, never knew how safe she was till the next letter arrived and the last one had been a few weeks ago.

_Damn it, Sheik,_ he couldn't help but think, _if you get yourself lost and once I find you again, I'm leashing you to a place so safe _walking the bloody dog_ would be an adventure._

Because that was exactly what she'd wanted; an adventure.

Link stumbled when there weren't any steps left, which Navi berated him for (goddesses, Link, you're going to sprain an ankle like that someday) and walked hurriedly to Zelda's study, since the servants usually left it there for him, not wanting to come up his tower.

He listened at the door, ensuring he wasn't interrupting one of her important meetings before walking in, looking for his own name among a pile of envelopes.

It was a lot bigger than usual, which made him wonder dismally how long it would take him to read it. But the space was filled mostly by a flyer, folded over and over to fit in the envelope, and the message in her neat, round script said simply,

_I'm Coming!_

Puzzled, Link unfolded the flyer. Even if he hadn't been able to read, he recognised the shape of the misspelt word: _THE TRAVELLING MASKERADE_.

"So that was where the banner went," Link muttered, "She _nicked_ it."

Navi peered over his shoulder and asked, "Does it say when she's coming?"

"Um..." he turned the paper over. It was blank. "It doesn't look... gods _damn it_, Navi, why would she _need_ to?"

"Huh? Hey wait!"

Link was already walking out of the office and striding down the corridors, and Wolfos nearly tripped him over and barked happily and followed his master for a walk. "Link, where are you going?"

"To the markets."

The fairy caught up to the Hylian and flew alongside his ear, confusion clear in her voice, "But what makes you think she's there already?"

"She has the _Sight_, she probably Saw when the letter would get here," Link hurried down the stairs and landed in the bright sun of the noon, wincing before walking once more, Wolfos already leaping ahead of him. "Either way, it doesn't hurt to take a look."

Then he stopped, cursed, and whistled for Wolfos to come back. The dog surprisingly obeyed, which was a relief for the Hylian.

Navi groaned. "What _now_?"

"That mask is going to earn its name."

-,-'-,-'-,-

He wore his sword, and a crisp green shirt. He had the Kokiri knife strapped to the small of his back, and he covered it up with a long coat, considering that the people now didn't enjoy the sight of weapons. At least, not in these peaceful times.

Navi chuckled at his expense. "She might not be here and you dressed up for her."

"Shut up, Navi," he muttered, looking round the market area, avoiding the food-stalls and heading for the show-grounds. "She's here. She has to be."

"But didn't she say that she can't See you or herself?"

"But I bet she can See the letter trading hands, heading into Hyrule. She may have come early, she might not be here. Either way, it's a good excuse to walk Wolfos. Right boy?"

The dog barked happily, and strained against the lead Link had attached him to. The Hylian's pace didn't budge, though his knuckles were white from the effort of keeping him in place.

"Right, where is that banner..."

Wolfos was beginning to bark like mad, and Link gave an annoyed groan before squatting down and rubbing the animal's fur. "What is up with you? I thought I trained you to behave in a crowd, Wolfos, come on, _behave_."

Wolfos barked in his face, licked it, and while Link yelped in disgust the dog bounded away.

"_Damn_!" Link wiped his face, spat on the road and chased after his infernal dog. "Navi stick to him in case I lose him in the crowd!"

"I don't think I need to," She supplied helpfully as they raced round a corner and into a small crowd.

Link balked. "Shit."

The dog was jumping and barking and howling round an armoured horse, which in turn was surrounded by a small crowd. The steed's armour had masks covering it like scales of a fish (And he _recognised _some of those masks), its back draped with many cloths all of different shades and materials, and Wolfos was barking at the many faces and colours and smells like his dreams had come true.

But the horse didn't panic and rear up like he'd expected to. Instead there was a surprised shout that was painstakingly _fake_ and a figure leapt onto the horse, posing dramatically, a grin pasted all over his face.

No, _her_ face, though she'd made it impossible to tell. The banner that she was performing under read: _THE TRAVELLING MASKERADE_.

"What is this strange creature?" Sheik asked her audience, who looked a little shaken at the sight of the large barking dog, "Where did it suddenly appear from? I tell you, my audience, it seems this wolfos is trying to tell kill me! But _never fear_!"

She leapt from the back of her horse and jumped and lunged around Wolfos, making heroic sounds of battle, and the audience began to cheer. Wolfos, having no clue what was going on just happily barked and pranced around, cheekily nipping at her arms, barking and howling as she 'fought' him.

Link's chest clenched painfully at the sight of her.

It wasn't the outfit, which consisted of ankle-boots, loose grey trousers and a grey long-sleeved shirt; that get-up probably let her perform more freely, considering how androgynous she looked in it. It wasn't the fact that she was leaner, tougher since they'd last met, if her delicate wrists and the hollows of her cheeks attested to anything.

It was the white blindfold that covered her red eyes that hit him with such sadness.

"How... how does she see in that?" Navi asked quizzically, even as Link blended into the crowd to watch her.

"It's probably a really thin cloth. It'll be in blurs, but she can still see."

She was rubbing the dog down so ferociously (and lovingly) that Wolfos hit the floor and rolled belly-up, begging for more. Sheik shot up with a victorious shout, declaring she'd defeated the Hound of Hell, and the crowd whooped and laughed and cheered.

Sheik bowed, cocking her blindfolded head, her hair tied back in a ponytail. "Now, my friends, my audience, you all must be wondering: why has this wolfos come to kill me? I have answers, I assure you, but that would be a very long story indeed, and I truly must leave you for the day..."

There was booing and cries for more. Link pulled a rupee out of his pocket and tossed it at her feet. She looked his way, and her lips broke into a wide smile. She picked up his rupee and gasped exaggeratedly at it. "My, it rains stars! Perhaps a few more shall grant that wish for a story...?"

Her wheedling worked. There were rupees of many colours chiming on the cobblestones, and she scooped them up and put them in a pouch at her hip whilst giving Wolfos one last rubdown, before leading him to the horse so he would lie down out of the way (Link envied the control she had over the stupid mutt), grinning all the way.

"Prayers indeed are answered, it seems." She remarked cheekily as she stood, "Well then, one last story before I pack up shop and escape this beast's master."

"Who is the beast's master?" a child crowed from the front, as if used to this game.

"Aah, my friend, this beast follows the orders of a _ferocious_ man, a terrible king of _evil_!"

There was an appreciative 'ooh...'

"This King, by the name of Aghanim," she spun, and she was holding a mask to her face with angry slashes for eyebrows and a terrifying hooked nose, "Has terrorised many a country, breaking cities with his army of monsters, burning forests to chase away fairies, oh the many lives he ruined! The many livelihoods he stole! And all..." she spun again, draping a pink veil over head, "For just one Princess."

"What?" A kid whined, "Why not treasure?"

"You have a good point there! Shall we ask the King? King Aghanim, why are you kidnapping the Princess when you can have treasure? Why, lord king... do you _love_ her?" Sheik took a step to the side, looked at where she had been standing before, and wore the King's Mask, changing her voice to suit it. "Love? _Love_? I don't love the Princess, who told you that? I... I, uh... I want her power! She has magic that will help me take over the world!"

Sheik took off the mask and stood where she was before, facing where the 'King' was. "But King, you have so much power already, why do you want more?"

She resumed the role of King Aghanim and stomped her foot angrily. "It'll make taking over the world faster! And she's beautiful! And smart! No one should have her but me! Me, I say! No one can talk to her, no one can look at her but _me_! Because I'm the strongest! The King of the World!"

She continued the story just like that, being lots of people at once with the aid of masks and veils, and she told of how the princess had been captured, locked away in a tower (the tower being the horse's back) and how she, the Grey Messenger, was running away from Aghanim to warn the Hero, to tell him that the Princess needed to be rescued.

"Swordfight!"

Sheik paused in her storytelling as the child who'd interrupted earned a few glares from his friends. "Yes?"

Sheepishly, he continued, "Do we get a swordfight? Between the King and the Hero?"

Link cocked an eyebrow at such a tall order. She could pretend to be two people fighting at once, but... would it be exciting? In his opinion, and probably in the adult's point of view too, waving a stick at thin air would be just... stupid.

Sheik licked her lips and pursed them in thought. "A swordfight, eh?"

"Yeah."

"How many people want a swordfight, raise your hands."

There were a few. Sheik's grin became sharp. "_Volunteers_?"

A dubious pause followed. There was nudging amongst the boys, daring each other to go. The younger adults were shaking their heads, refusing to be humiliated. Sheik turned back, unhooked a mask from her horse's side and threw it.

Link instinctively caught it before figuring out the trap.

Sheik whooped, beckoning him over. "We have a volunteer for a Hero, my friends!"

They cheered, and Link had no choice but to join her in the clearing. He grumbled under his breath as Navi laughed. There was a nervous lilt to their clapping when they saw the tattoo slashed across his face. Sheik took the mask off him, humming exaggeratedly, sounding impressed.

"It seems you don't need a Hero's mask, my dear sir; you're already finely marked across your eye. Tell me Hero," and her voice lowered, she wore Aghanim's mask, and she threw him a wooden sword that he caught easily by the hilt. "What do your markings mean?"

Link shrugged, weighing the wooden weapon in his hand. "Strength, skill. Gratitude."

"_Gratitude_?" Aghanim scoffed, "Not stupidity or insanity? You're both if you intend to win against me, _boy_!"

Link grinned. "Who're you calling _boy_, pansy?"

There was appreciative laughter from the crowd as 'King Aghanim' faltered. "Heroes aren't supposed to answer back to taunts!"

"Who says so, King Aghanim?" Link taunted, jabbing forward, looking for an opening. Sheik deflected it nicely, however, and excitement began to simmer in his chest. Finally, he was able to fight her.

"_I_ say so, and my word is law!"

She lunged forward swiping her knife diagonally down, going straight for his hand. He flicked his wrist and clashed his weapon against hers to deflect the attack and she used the impact to bounce back and up and down, her wooden sword whistling towards his forehead. He ducked back, dropped, caught himself against the ground and kicked up, aiming for her hand in turn but she blocked with her leg and retreated, not able to do much else than that.

There was an appreciative _ooh_...

"Not bad, Hero."

"You're not so bad yourself, Aghanim or whatever," Link shrugged, grinning happily, "At least, for a guy who cowers behind minions and all."

"You think I don't like to get my hands dirty, do you?" Sheik growled low, prowling round him, "Let me show you how wrong you are."

It was exhilarating. Their weapons clacked against each other insanely fast, the two of them ducking and weaving around their opponents, smiling, snarling, testing. It was like they'd practiced the fight a thousand times, her hacks and stabs short and abrupt, coming in feints and bursting torrents, forcing him to parry or roll away while his attacks were in his power and range, his swipes long and sweeping, forcing her to duck or jump away and in, their bodies sometimes brushing intimately close.

It was flirting at its best; reminiscent of old times, promising for new times. If it weren't for the mask and blindfold that covered her whole face, he would've grabbed and kissed her right then and there.

Link stabbed forward. Sheik artfully shifted her weight and the wooden blade barely grazed her side. She grabbed it and cried out, buckling over in pain; Link blinked. He'd forgotten that they'd been fighting for an audience.

"You have defeated me, Hero!" Sheik choked out as Aghanim, adding some coughs to the melodramatic display, "But you shan't beat my beast! Go, Wolfos!"

Wolfos did come bounding out of wherever he'd been sitting, but instead of leaping on Link he bowled straight into Sheik's back. She gave a squeal as she was forced into the ground, and the whole audience burst out laughing, and Link couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"I suppose your beast thinks you should stay down, my King."

"Oh," Sheik grumbled, "Shut up."

Link knew his role; he crouched in front of Sheik and poked her head to the amusement of the audience and asked, "Come on, where's the Princess?"

"In the Tower."

"How do I get there?"

"It's behind there." Sheik pointed at the horse. Link stood up and, not liking the idea of walking behind the horse _at all_, took the long way and circled round the horse's head. That gave her enough time to get Wolfos off her, roll under the horse, and pop up as the Princess, veil over her head and Aghanim's mask gone.

She smiled at him. "Hello, Hero."

Link smiled sadly back. "Hello."

-,-'-,-'-,-

Sheik led Anny into her stall and rubbed her warm neck lovingly as she cooed, "Good girl. _Wonderful_ girl. You deserve a medal for this."

Link was leaning against the stable entrance, looking distinctly displeased. "And _I_ deserve a medal for my self-restraint."

Sheik chuckled, turning to him, "Self-restraint against-?"

Link paused long enough for her to shut her mouth before kissing her, hungrily holding her body against his, feeling her arms wrap round his neck as she deepened the kiss, tongue brushing tongue, a gentle nip of teeth against lips, a sigh smothered by another kiss, and another and another.

When he pulled back she buried her face into his neck, taking a deep breath. "I missed you."

"Then you shouldn't have wandered off." Link muttered, holding her tighter.

"Mmm. I got caught up in adventures."

"If I see any scars that shouldn't be there I'm going to be _really_ unhappy, Sheik."

She pulled back, pouting, "I said I was fine in my letters, didn't I?"

"Well excuse me for not believing you." He whispered against her mouth, gently pressing his lips to her skin before moving to her neck, her cheek, then to her lips again. "Seriously. How are you?"

"Tired. But deliriously happy," she shrugged, grinning.

Link frowned. "Well I'm not."

Her expression plummeted. "What?"

"Your blindfold. Why the hell do you wear a blindfold when you perform?"

She blinked. "Oh. _Oh_. Ooooh... oh yeah. Um... about that."

Link scowled. "How badly."

Sheik had the look of a girl who was about to deny everything, but sighed and peevishly conceded, "Some places were worse than others. But most places were okay, you know, when I was fortune-telling. I guess they could rationalise it as eyes that can see the future. But when I performed, well... I got paid better with it."

His sigh was guttural. "This is why you should've come straight here."

"Hey, I knew what I was up against." She muttered grouchily, "I knew my eyes would be... unusual, in a lot of places, but I still wanted to travel. I wanted to catch up."

"Catch up to _what_?"

"To you. To who I was. To... everything."

Link sighed through his nose before shaking his head. He held her hand as he pulled her away from her horse, calling one of the stable-boys to look after the mare. "How long have you been here?"

Sheik blushed. "A... a few days?"

Link gave her the look as they stepped into the sunlight, where Wolfos and Navi were waiting for them. "And you didn't come to visit me _once_."

"I wanted the letter to get to you first!"

He rolled his eyes as Wolfos barked and walked around them happily. "You and your dramatic entrances..."

"I resent that. I've only done it _once_."

"Not true. You were the same _back then_. Sneaking up behind me, leaping off the lip of a volcano, stepping out of a sandstorm, the list goes on and on."

"Stin-I mean, Zelda did most of that."

"I bet they were your idea."

She tried to look sullen but a proud smirk twitched her lips. "Maybe."

"I knew it."

She chuckled, drawing a smile out of him. "So, Link, how have _you_ been?"

"Good. Training Wolfos, learning to read, making masks..."

"Thanks for sending them, by the way."

"You're welcome. Though I will never know how those birds found you."

She laughed. Then she yelped as she tripped, grumbling as Link's hand, still holding hers, prevented her from falling. "Why are we in such a hurry?"

"You've got to get ready."

"For what?"

"The Ball. In... five hours."

He looked back and was satisfied to see just how pale she'd become. "Wh-what? _Ball_? As in the ones where people wear nice things and dance and... stuff?"

"Yep. You're my partner."

"But I've got _nothing_ to wear! And... oh gods. _Oh gods_. I just Saw Princess Zelda."

Link grinned. "About time that you two were properly introduced."

"I can't!" She dug her heels into the ground and stopped moving. Link just as easily dragged her behind him. "Link, I can't! I don't have a dress!"

Navi watched the two of them, and then her brother's expression and sighed. Link was enjoying her squirm way too much. "Borrow Zelda's."

"I stink!"

"Borrow Zelda's bath."

"I look hideous!"

"There're people called maids who help with make-up. I'm sure Zelda can work with a few less. Not that you need it."

"What about my eyes?"

Link stopped. He turned around, and Sheik had her head bowed, and her hands shook in his. "Not everyone thinks I look... pretty, Link, not like you."

He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. He sighed, and nodded. "I know."

"They remind people of blood first, not, not whatever you think they look like."

He bit his lip, and took the figurative plunge. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'll be honest with you. The first thing _I _thought when I saw your eyes was 'blood', too."

She flinched. Link hastily stepped closer and gently touched her shoulders. "Sheik, look at me. Look at me, please."

She did so, and tears were in her eyes. He gave a wan smile. "I was glad. You have no idea how glad I was when I saw you. You and your eyes. Well, eye, anyway. You still had that annoying fringe then."

Sheik sniffed, and looked at Navi. The fairy gave a flutter. "He's not lying. Seriously."

The girl looked back at the Hylian and doubtfully. "Why were you glad?"

He looked around, avoiding the question for now. "We should look for a place to sit."

"Here's fine." Sheik snapped, "Now tell me."

Link hesitated, knowing that what he'd say might drive her away; but he had to let her know, had to tell her just how and why he'd fallen for her. "Before I slept for seven years. I met a soldier in the back-alley. He died with his eyes open, and... the blank look on his face terrified me. He wasn't bleeding anymore; even if I'd had a fairy, he couldn't have been saved. That terrified me like nothing else. Except... when you said you were going to die. It's just... when you're ten, and you're fighting giant skeletal arachnids and stuff, you get used to the sight of blood. And be glad for it. At least, for me. Monster blood on my hands tended to mean I was winning. When _I_ was bleeding I knew I was alive, though the clock was ticking. The first time I cut a redead open it turned to dust; I couldn't come out of hiding for a whole day because I was so scared. The idea that something that looks human could be a monster, a _tough_ monster to beat simply because it didn't bleed... was a wake-up call. In a way."

"You're going on a tangent, Link." Navi reminded, worrying how Sheik seemed a little queasy. "And you're not proving your point very well."

"Right, thanks, sorry," Link muttered, taking a deep breath. "Blood meant life, for me. When I bled, I knew I was alive, that I hadn't turned into a monster, that I wasn't _dead_, or I saw you, the first thing in seven years, you put away my fears about redeads, and that soldier with the empty gaze." He cradled her head in his hands and kissed her eyelids. "Bright, shining red eyes. Eyes full of life. It was one of the best things I saw in my life."

She frowned, a tear dripping down her cheek. "You creep."

He sighed as he wiped it away. "Would it help if I said my favourite colour after green was red?"

"No."

"What do you think of me now?"

"I'm thinking of Oni, actually."

His heart plummeted. "I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"

"No, it's just something he said, once. Sunsets, rubies, roses splattered by blood." She smiled at him, shaking her head incredulously. "How could he not be captivated?"

Link blushed. Sheik kissed him before squeezing him in a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered, "For making me feel so special."

He coughed awkwardly before patting her back. "So... um... now that we have that sorted..."

"I suppose I have to get ready for the ball?"

"Yeah. I think you should meet Zelda. For old time's sake, and she's missed you."

"The sister I never had."

"You could put it that way." They began to walk again, hand in hand, and Link cleared his throat awkwardly once more. "I made a mask for you."

"Oh? Do I get to look at it?"

Link smiled, sheepishly. "It'll go well with the dress."

-,-'-,-'-,-

His outfit consisted of the new Maskmaker's uniform. It was a green tunic, black leather boots, craftsman's gauntlets, blue undershirt and a bone broach on his breast, artfully crafted to look like branches of ivy surrounding an off-white jewel, and from far off it looked like an upside down triangle.

It was basically a giant in-joke shared between him and Zelda, in the shape of formal dress.

He knocked on Sheik's door, holding her mask. "Am I allowed in now?"

"You may come in, Mister Link."

Link wondered whether he should get himself a surname as he let himself in.

Her dress was a black that bordered on green and blue, like the night sky in Termina. The effect was doubled by the gossamer that covered the skirt, like the folds of an aurora. Her bodice was covered by the green-tinged pearls; the neckline was shallow, but off-shoulder, displaying her lovely neck and shoulders shamelessly. Her hands were gloved in white, and it reached all the way to her elbows. And her hair. _Oh_, her hair. She'd let it grow, and it was curled and braided up like a fountain, and none of it was obscuring her face or eyes. Sheik blushed at how he looked at her.

"So, uh... what do you think?"

"You're stunning."

Her blush deepened. "Really? But, isn't black, reserved for people in mourning? I've never seen a ball-gown in black."

"It's unusual, I'll give it that," Link conceded, "But hey, you're a Seer. Seers wear black. And it's not _that _dark, just think it... midnight blue."

"Alright..."

Link stood in front of her and grinned. "Close your eyes."

She smiled. "Is it the mask?"

"Close your eyes."

"It's the mask, isn't it."

"You have to close your eyes or you'll never know."

She closed her eyes. Link placed the mask on her face and she made a small sound. "It's cold."

"Shh." He held her shoulders and led her to the mirror, winking at the maids still there. "I have to warn you, this mask would look better on something more silver, but hey."

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Go ahead."

She looked at herself and gasped. Her eyes roved over the smooth contours of the mask, the gentle sheen of white gold, the green studded line that branched to her eyes, the rubies and the emeralds that made her eyes look like...

"Link, I think I'm going to cry. I... this is beautiful."

He nodded in agreement before kissing her exposed shoulder. "A mask only you can wear. It's called The Rose."

Her pupil worked as the centre; her iris as the primary petals. The rubies round the left eyehole was plentiful, blooming starkly bright against the silver plane, while the other, represented as a bud, was lined with less rubies and more emeralds. No other eye colour would have such an effect.

"You like it, I hope."

Sheik nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I love it. And I love you."

"Don't think I'm through yet. I'm thinking of making something else to go with it. If... if you want." He gently, pleadingly, looked at the maids. They smiled and left on expertly silent feet.

Sheik obliviously looked at Link. "Like what?"

"Oh, you know, jewellery. The Castle jeweller's getting old, so I thought I might apprentice under him."

"Like, a necklace?"

"I was... I was thinking about a ring. If you'd oblige me."

Sheik looked at him with round, shocked eyes. Link stammered. "You don't have to think about it now. Actually, don't think about it at all. It doesn't have to mean anything. It's just...this is way too soon, isn't it."

"A little, yes."

"Sorry."

Sheik smiled. "I honestly don't mind."

"...Right."

"Let me think on it." She took off the mask and placed it on the table. "I have to admit, this mask would look _amazing_ with a white dress."

Hope lit a small glow in Link's eyes. "You think...?"

"Come on. We'll be late for the ball."

Sheik held his hand and led him to the door. But before opening it they shared one last kiss, and she murmured against his ear, "If it's going to have a stone in it, whatever kind, I want it to be blue."

"Anything. Anything for you."

She blushed at the intensity of his tone, and looked down. "Thank you."

"No," Link held her tightly as he held back laughter. "Thank _you_. For existing. My Rose."

* * *

**Before we get into review replies, I just want to put down the lyrics of the song that inspired this story, and especially this chapter. Guess what? It's called _The Rose_**

**Some say love, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed  
Some say love, it is a razer  
That leaves your soul to bleed.**

Some say love it is a hunger  
An endless aching need  
I say love it is a flower  
And you  
It's only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking  
That never learns to dance.  
It's the dream afraid of waking  
That never takes the chance. 

**It's the one who won't be taken  
Who cannot seem to give.  
And the soul afraid of dying  
****That never learns to live.**

When the night has been too lonely  
And the road has been too long.  
And you think that love is only  
for the lucky and the strong. 

**Just remember in the winter  
Far beneath the bitter snows  
Lies the seed that with the sun's love  
In the spring  
Becomes... **

**The Rose**

**We sang it at choir when I was at school, and I fell in love with the song as soon as we were given the sheetmusic. Listen to it on Grooveshark; I hope you'll be inspired as I was.**

**Then again, I could be totally overrating it. XD**

**_Review replies!_**

_**Kaze wolf**_**: And here is more fluffiness! I hope the end was worth the wait.**

_**darkwolflink1**_**: Yay! Good to know! XD Thanks for your reviews, man/girl. You guys are awesome.**

_**goldenrhino**_**: The credits are rolling, now. With that song in the background. Oh, and I supposed Kiss from a Rose (on the grey) by whoever. Thanks for your reviews!**

_**Dark Lord Link**_**: No, no, thank YOU for reviewing over and over again. Wow, I'm saying a lot of thank yous, even in the chapter, lol. It's okay though, they're all well-deserved.**

_**Human Riot**_**: Ahaha, you think all the sad stuff was worth that chapter, then I don't know what this chapter is! XD Anyway, I think this chapter answered all your questions. Thank you so much for reviewing all the way. You guys've been a massive support.**

_**Ugolino**_**: I hope you liked this chapter too, then. Thanks for the review!**

_**Me:**_** This is the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed the fic!**

_**K-shee**_**: Ahaha, I hope this chapter was worth squeeing for, though there is a lack of jealous girls. Thank you for your constant reviews, really. Every one of them made my day.**

_**hyliandragon**_**: So many reviews at once! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm sorry I won't be replying to all your comments, because this is the last chapter review and all. But thank you, again, for so many reviews and kind words.**

_**DragonXander**_**: Here's the fighting scene, short as it is! XD Thank you for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy my other fics just as much as you enjoyed this one. And the comment you made about Wolfos growing up gave me an idea. If I ever write it up I'll post it and see if you like it. **

_**Sparty the Bold**_**: Sparty. Oh, Sparty. Your reviews, among others, were one of the funnest to reply to. I got to argue, I got to make silly excuses, it was just amazing fun. Thank you for your thought-provoking reviews, and I hope this whole story was worth the time and effort you put reading and reviewing into. **

_**Lady Kurina**_**: Ahaha, you're absolutely right, of course. Thank you for your reviews, Lady Kurina' I'm glad you got to enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

_**deikitty**_**: Yay, new reviewer at the end of the story! Thank you for saying so, even if it is a cheesy pick-up line. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you.**

_**Missing Triforce**_**: Wow, Wow, so many thanks, when I should be the one thanking you. lol. Thank you for your support, for reviewing all the chapters that came out, and for loving my fic so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

_**Erendan: **_**Here it is! I hope you like it. And thank you, so much, for the many reviews you've given to this fic. **

_**RaeyaKimani**_**: Oh, Raeya. When I saw the burst of long reviews you gave me, I nearly died of happiness. Thank you so much for your support and reviews. The energy you and other reviewers have given are stupendously infectious. Thank you, so very much. And, oops, on the to buy list. Nobody else noticed that. XP LOL.**

_**Robert Dewarren**_**: Thank you! I hope you liked the epilogue, and thank you for reviewing. **

**...**

**...**

**...**

**That's it, guys. The curtains closed. I'll be replying to people with accounts, through the normal replying system, so those who reply anonymously, you're going to have to mis out. I'm sorry. But hey, you got replies for a whole story, and that doesn't happen often, right? So let me off this one time, yeah? Ahahahaha. XD**

**Thank you.**

**So, so very much.**

**And Goodbye, For now.**

**Spiritual Stone**


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